Roman Miscellany

2009-02-26T09:51:00.006Z

I haven't been posting very much recently, not only because it's a busy time of year in the parish but because my 83 year-old father has been rather unwell. This has prevented me from following or commenting on some of the recent excitements on the blogosphere. So that I can focus on the 4th commandment, I won't be blogging in the near future - though I will, of course, keep the blog online and may be inspired to write the occasional post when I feel the urge.

Oremus pro invicem!

Update Of you charity please pray for the repose of the soul of my father, Dr Arthur Norman Edward Delsart Schofield, who died at home on Monday 9th March, aged 83. Born in Rochdale in 1925, he studied at the School of Slavonic Studies, University of London, and worked as Curator in the Department of Manuscripts at the British Library, until his retirement in 1987. His Requiem will be celebrated at 12.30pm on Friday 20th March at St John the Evangelist, Berry Lane, Rickmansworth. Requiescat in pace.

International Summer School for Young Catholics

2009-02-25T21:48:00.001Z

I'm delighted to post the following advert for the International Summer School for Young Catholics, founded by the late David Foster. As a former student I warmly recommend it:

INSTAURARE OMNIA IN CHRISTO
Restore All Things in Christ

July 25th – August 1st 2009

at the Oratory Preparatory School, near Reading

After the sad death of David Foster in late December, Dominic Sullivan, Sr. Valerie Walker O.P. and Susanna Ward intend to continue the International Summer School which he started in 1982. David had a high ideal of what a Catholic school should be, insisting that it must not simply impart religious doctrine as an isolated subject, but that supernatural revelation should inform the whole of its syllabus and life. Although only a week long, his summer school tried to cover a wide range of knowledge within a Catholic framework, and to demonstrate that modern culture both derives from Catholic roots and yet denies them.

The course is not a retreat, although there is Holy Mass and Rosary every day, and lessons on religious doctrine and spiritual subjects form part of the curriculum. There are also opportunities for swimming, sport and other activities in the beautiful setting of the Oratory Preparatory School. On most evenings there is a visiting speaker.

The course is open to young people between the ages of 13 - 19. The cost will be £220. For further information about application, please contact the Course Director by March 31st 2009.

Enquiries to:
Course Director
Dominic Sullivan
Tel: 0208 788 8659
Email: dsullivan@los.ac

Oscott

2009-02-05T10:23:00.006Z

Last week I visited St Mary's College, Oscott, the seminary for the Archdiocese of Birmingham, in order to collect some archival materials. It seemed quite a happy place and three members of the staff (including the Vice-Rector) were contemporaries of mine in Rome. The College has a fine building, designed by Pugin and with stunning views over Birmingham (particularly impressive at night, when flickering lights replace the uglier aspects of the urban sprawl).

In the Pranzorium, where the staff (and guests) have breakfast, there is a wonderful collection of portraits of past Presidents, including two of the greatest Vicars Apostolic of the Midland District.

This is Bishop John Milner (1752-1826), whom Newman called 'the English Athanasius.' He offered a new model of what an English Catholic bishop should be – confident, unafraid of controversy, keen to uphold the primacy of ecclesiastical authority and defend orthodoxy, and also truly pastoral. Many of his fiery opinions could be found in the appropriately named Orthodox Journal. Milner moved the Church away from dependence on the great Catholic families and looked towards the victory of Ultramontanism later in the nineteenth century.

This is Bishop Thomas Walsh (1777-1849), who was moved to London in the last year of his life, with the expectation that he would become the first Archbishop of Westminster after the restoration of the Hierarchy. He died and Wiseman filled his shoes. As bishop in the Midlands, what marked Walsh out was the grandeur of his vision and his openness towards new forces within the Catholic community, such as the Oxford converts and the gothis revival. At his death in 1849, The Tablet observed that ‘it is to his Episcopacy that posterity will trace the great development of ecclesiastical architecture which forms so distinctive a feature in the history of our period.’ A keen supporter of Pugin, Walsh oversaw the opening of a number of churches and institutions that were gems of the gothic revival: the future Cathedrals of Birmingham (St Chad’s) and Nottingham, New Oscott, the Trappist monastery at Mount St Bernard’s, the glorious churches at Cheadle and Derby, and the religious houses of Hanley, Ratcliffe and Aston. Many of these ambitious projects were made possible through the patronage of John Talbot, sixteenth earl of Shrewsbury, and Ambrose Phillips de Lisle.

Walsh’s vision for Oscott was to make it a centre of Catholic life and scholarship that would provide a home for many of the converts. Pugin was given the task of decorating and furnishing the chapel, using ornaments ‘executed by ancient artists in the days of faith’ but ‘torn by heretical and revolutionary violence from their original positions in the noble churches of France and Belgium,’ and restoring ‘the ample and dignified vestments which were anciently used in this land.’ Walsh bought an impressive library that had been made available in Rome and appointed converts like George Spencer to high positions.

Burns Night and Haggis

2009-01-25T15:16:00.004Z

Since publishing on 2009 anniversaries earlier this month, I keep coming across more. Today, for example, is not only the Conversion of St Paul but Burns Night - and, indeed, the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth. To mark this we had some delicious haggis at Sunday lunch in the presbytery.

Eating haggis reminded me of the small part it played in the conversion of our first parish priest here at Kingsland, Fr William Lockhart (a disciple of Newman and Rosmini) while he was a student at Exeter College, Oxford. In the early 1840s he attended the annual Scotch dinner for St Andrew’s Day, held in the Union rooms. It was a happy evening of whisky, Jacobite songs, toasts to Archbishop Laud and ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, and a menu of oyster soup, haggis and ‘cockie-leeky.’ Afterwards, Lockhart walked round the Parks with a friend to sober up and declared: ‘I am in a state now in which I might be drawn into any wickedness.’ The following morning he went to see Dr Sewell at Exeter and asked to confess the previous night’s excesses. Sewell refused and offered him a dose of Epsom salts instead of absolution, Lockhart later commenting ‘I came away from that ass at once. I asked my father for bread, and he gave me a stone. I asked for fish, - he gave me a scorpion.' Not long afterwards he joined Newman at Littlemore and soon converted to Rome, one of the main issues being the forgiveness of post-baptismal sins.

To celebrate today's anniversary, here is what I consider to be one of the finest sights and sounds in these fair isles:

New Books

2009-01-25T07:59:00.001Z

Alumni of the Venerable English College, Rome in recent years have been rather prolific in publishing books. In the last week or so two of my classmates have produced interesting titles.

Fr Gerard Skinner, parish priest of Northolt and South Harrow and co-author of The English Cardinals, has arranged an anthology of Benedict XVI's teachings on the Sacred Priesthood. Entitled Priests of Jesus Christ, it is published by the ever-excellent Family Publications and will be essential reading for priests, seminarians and anyone considering a priestly vocation, as well as those who want to learn more about the role of the Priesthood in the Church.

Fr Richard Whinder, a Southwark priest who occasionally appears on the blogosphere, has written a useful CTS pamphlet, The Extraordinary Form of the Mass Explained, containing a short commentary on 'the Mass of the Ages', a history of its development across the centuries and an explanation of Summorum Pontificum. Priced at only £1.95, I'm sure it will help those who are either discovering the Usus Antiquior or are confused by recent events.

Ecumenical Fruits

2009-01-24T20:17:00.001Z

Good news about the SSPX excommunications being remitted at the end of Christian Unity Week. There is still a long way to go and I'm sure that members of the Society will be divided over the path that lies ahead. As it happens, I spotted the cassocked figure of Bishop Fellay in the newsagents at Fiumicino airport on Monday as I was waiting for the plane (and struggling to carry the bottles of digestivi I had just bought from 'duty free'), so I thought something might be in the air!

Let us continue to pray for the unity of the Church.

A Day in the Castelli

2009-01-23T14:03:00.014Z

This time last week I was in the Castelli, the little towns in the Alban Hills just outside Rome. After a sublime lunch at Monte Porzio (where the English College had a villa up until 1918 - above you can see a view looking down to Rome), I popped into Frascati. The exterior of the Cathedral (below) had been restored since my last visit:

Respects were paid at the site of the original tomb of 'Bonne Prince Charlie' - his young brother, the Cardinal Duke of York, was of course bishop of Frascati between 1761 and 1803. Although the body of 'Charles III' was moved to St Peter's in 1807, his praecordia is still near this monument :

There was also an amazing crib, based on a Piranesi print of the Porto di Ripetta on the Tiber, featuring the Croatian church (San Girolamo degli Schiavoni) and to its right the little chapel of San Gregorio dei Muratori (up until recently the HQ of the Fraternity of St Peter in Rome). This view can no longer be seen due to subsequent town-planning. The actual Nativity Scene was tucked away in the corner, in true Roman style:

It was good to see Cardinal Henry Stuart remembered in a special exhibition at the Scuderie Aldobrandini per l'Arte, rather unimaginatively called La Biblioteca del Cardinale (though the Cardinal's library was only part of the exhibition's focus). It's on until 15 February, in case you're passing through Rome. There were many familiar portraits, many of which I had only seen as illustrations in books, and I was particularly pleased to buy a large, well-illustrated catalogue (anyone interested in the 'Cardinal King' should get a copy).
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Before leaving Frascati, I popped over to Cardinal Stuart's former residence of La Rocca. It was here that the last of the Stuarts died on 13 July 1807:

Newman's Cause

2009-01-21T17:18:00.002Z

I've been asked to draw your attention to the new 'Official Website for the Cause for the Canonisation of JohnHenry Cardinal Newman.' This includes a Thought for the Day from Newman's writings, biography, history of the Cause, and regular news and features. Hopefully there will be some definitive good news soon.

An Ostrich at the Vatican

2009-01-20T22:22:00.010Z

Saturday was the feast of St Anthony of Egypt, the desert Father whose story was so memorably told by St Athanasius. In Italy he is known as San Antonio Abate and is often depicted with animals (especially a pig) in more an Italian than an Egyptian setting. Here is a little shrine that was set up in the duomo of Monte Porzio:

He is (amongst other things) the protector of animals and patron of breeders [allevatori], which is why a whole menagerie of beasts gathered on the Piazza San Pietro to celebrate the festa, organised by the AIA (Associazione Italiana Allevatori). Here is the tent containing the animals, with San Pietro in the background. Can you spot the friendly face posing for my camera on the extreme right?

Here is a close up:

Now I've seen many things at the Vatican but I never thought I'd bump into a struzzo or ostrich. I wonder if its presence means that the Holy See has commissioned a new set of flabelli (ceremonial fans made from ostrich feathers)? There were also some chaps on horses, making a rather charming sight (a touch of the 'Wild West' on the Via Conciliazione).

You'll be pleased to know that all the animals were blessed by the Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Comastri, after he had celebrated a Mass for the Feast.

NB Why St Anthony and the pig? Some suggest that the pig symbolised the devil, which the saint defeated through his prayer, penances and perseverance; others that it reminds us of the hermit's simplicity and harmony with creation. Moreover the medieval Hospital Brothers of St Anthony (later incorporated into the Knights of Malta) kept pigs, quickly becoming the symbol of their patron.

Papal Angelus

2009-01-20T20:50:00.002Z

I received two e-mails today, from readers in Germany and Texas, encouraging me to post after an absence of a few weeks. I have indeed been rather apathetic in my blogging duties but in recent days it has been made difficult by my customary Christmas holiday in Rome. At least my holiday snaps will provide a few posts in coming days.

It was good, of course, to see the papa at his weekly Angelus.

I hadn't noticed before that the Latin texts appear on the large TV screens in Piazza San Pietro, 'facilitating' an actuosa participatio.

It was good to see a packed square despite it being a fairly quiet time for tourism in Rome.

A Defender of the Faith - RIP

2009-01-04T21:03:00.004Z

Fr Tim has noted on his blog the sad news of the death, at the age of 75, of David Foster, a tireless champion and teacher of the Faith. I feel I should pay tribute to him here. I counted him as a friend and when we met I was never aware of the age gap between us. He was young at heart and wore his learning lightly; despite having quite firm views about the Church and the world, he never rammed them down your throat and loved to expand his knowledge. He had a great love for Chesterton and Belloc (sharing their appreciation of good old English pubs) and passionately followed cricket and Burnley FC (he had offered to take me to a match, which I regret not taking up).

I first met David in 1992, when I attended the 'International Summer School for Catholic Youth' that he founded. This was (and is) held each July and comprised a series of lessons and talks on a wide range of subjects, everything from Thomistic theology to music, from literature to Greek, all taught from the perspective of a 'Catholic world view.' When I first went along at the age of 16 I wondered whether I would really enjoy it but I returned the subsequent two years and made many friends. David's vision was a key influence in rekindling my interest in the Church - as a result my faith was strengthened and, with it, my sense of a priestly vocation. There were about 30 or 40 students 'in my day' and out of these two became secular priests and one a Dominican nun in Australia. I owe David a lot and feel very privileged to have been asked to be the chief celebrant at his funeral on 13 January (Brentwood Cathedral, 1pm).

Catholic Anniversaries in 2009

2009-01-01T00:01:00.001Z

Two big Catholic anniversaries with Hertfordshire connections - the martyrdom of St Alban and the death of Pope Adrian IV (formerly Nicholas Breakspear).

As usual Roman Miscellany begins the new year by noting some important anniversaries in 2009 that may be of interest to readers:

9 January – 1300th Anniversary of the death of St Adrian, the only African Archbishop of Canterbury (so far), and Centenary of the birth of Fr Patrick Peyton, the 'Rosary Priest.'
15 January – Centenary of the death of St Arnold Janssen, founder of Divine Word Missionaries
20 January – 300th Anniversary of the death of François de la Chaise SJ, confessor to Louis XIV
3 February – 100th birthday of Simone Weil, philosopher and religious writer
21 April - 900th Anniversary of the death of St Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury and Doctor of the Church

24 April – 1300th Anniversary of the death of St Wilfrid, bishop of York
17 March - 200th birthday of Ambrose Phillipps de Lisle, convert and patron of Pugin

31 May – 200th Anniversary of the death of Josef Haydn, composer – for many the anniversary of 2009. Expect some interesting CD releases
11 June – 500th Anniversary of the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
22 June – possibly the 1800th Anniversary of the martyrdom of England’s proto-martyr, St Alban (different scholars give different dates)
29 June – 500th Anniversary of the death of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, patron of the arts and learning and spiritual client of St John Fisher
4 August – 150th Anniversary of the death of St John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests – a jubilee in Ars! Fifty years ago Blessed John XXIII issued Sacredotii Nostri Primordii for the Centenary.
18 August – 450th Anniversary of the death of Pope Paul IV (Carafa), who had earlier been first General of the Theatines
1 September – 850th Anniversary of the death of Pope Adrian IV (Breakspear), the first (and only) English Pope
18 October – Millennium of the destruction of the church of the Holy Sepulchre by Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, an event which contributed to the mounting of the Crusades later in the century
25 November – 400th birthday of Henrietta Maria, Catholic consort of Charles I
25 December – 450th Anniversary of the election of Pope Pius IV (Medici), uncle of St Charles Borromeo

I'm sure there are many more. Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-24T21:00:00.003Z

How great the mystery and wondrous the sacred sign,

that beasts should look upon the Lord lying lowly in the stall!

Pugin's Ramsgate

2008-12-13T08:08:00.003Z

On Wednesday I popped down to the Kentish coastal town of Ramsgate. My first port of call was the Benedictine monastery, which I used to visit regularly when my first cousin once removed (Dom Stephen Holford) was alive. In fact the last time I visited I had gingerly mentioned my possible priestly vocation to him - it was the first time I had mentioned it to anyone. That was about 13 years ago and quite a lot has happened since then! It was good to be back - the monks kindly invited me to lunch and I had a chance to rumage in their wonderfully atmospheric library.

Here the church, designed by the great Pugin - he was proud that it contained not one wrong architectural principal:

Outside, leading down to the sea front, there is a peaceful cemetery. Here is a view looking towards The Grange, with the tomb of two of my great-aunts in the foreground.

The Grange was the home of Augustus Welby Pugin and then his son Edward. It was recently purchased and renovated by the Landmark Trust and open (by apointment) for tours every Wednesday afternoon. If you're looking for a place to stay in Ramsgate, you can rent the whole house and it has room for eight people. In fact, since it boasts a private chapel (complete with a dressed altar) it would be a good place for priests to stay while visiting the south coast. It is a remarkable place - the prototype for so many Victorian houses, with some beautiful stained glass and wallpaper designs. Pugin's flag flies from the tower, with a black crow (his heraldic device).

Pugin is buried in a chantry in the Abbey church (which is normally closed), where I said a Pater and an Ave for the repose of this sometimes troubled soul. Beside the chapel is the beautiful Blessed Sacrament altar, with the rood screen that used to stand before the sanctuary. Unfortunately the rood was ripped out and is now in the Anglican Cathedral at Southwark.

Minster and St Edburga

2008-12-12T21:47:00.008Z

I found out today that 12 December, as well as being the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and my birthday, is also the dies natalis of St Edburga, a princess of the House of Wessex and third Abbess of Minster. It was a happy coincidence that I spent the last few days supplying the sacramental needs of the Benedictine nuns of Minster in Kent, who live on the site of the seventh century monastery - as you can see in the picture above, part of the buildings are Saxon. It must be one of the oldest inhabited buildings in Catholic hands.

We celebrated the saint's feast at Mass early this morning, possibly yards from her resting place (no one seems to know exactly where she was buried though the Saxon church, the most likely spot, lies beneath the sisters' lawn). I was tempted to use St Edburga's other name in the collect - St Bugga. She was maintained a correspondence with St Boniface and sent him books and vestments. St Edburga thus provides a connection with the German mission and another great saint - St Walburga. It was nuns from the monastery of St Walburga at Eichstatt who 'colonised' Minster just before WWII. They were fleeing from Nazi harassment, although they were viewed with great suspicion by the British authorities and had to briefly move from the strategic location of Minster (near the English Channel and an air field) to the West Country. By the ways, the nuns of Minster still maintain links with their mother house amnd distribute the miraculous oil of St Walburga. I brought a few bottles back with me to give to the sick of the parish.

The patroness of Minster - and of Thanet (the local area, formally an island) - is St Mildred, the original monastery's second Abbess. Her symbol - and that of the other early Abbesses - is a deer. This goes back to a story concerning her mother, St Ermenburga/Domneva. A tame deer was let loose and the path the animal took determined the boundaries of the monastic land. The deer symbol can be found everywhere in the area.

It was great to spend a few peaceful days with the nuns, writing a few sermons for the coming weeks and catching up with prayer and reading. They invite priests wishing to make retreats to act as their chaplain, so they have a quick turn-over - and are prevented from getting bored by one priest's sermons! A family connection also made me feel very much at home - my mother's cousin, a monk of Ramsgate Abbey, was parish priest of Minster for many years and my great-aunt (who died in 1980 aged 95) lived in a bungalow owned by the Priory - all the sisters called her 'auntie.'

Seasonal Music

2008-11-30T10:40:00.005Z

Advent and Christmas are richly musical seasons and there are many recordings available of carols and noels, cantatas and oratorios. Each year I look with interest at the many new CDs produced for the festive Season, although it is always a great temptation to put on recordings of carols as soon as we light the first candle on the Advent Wreath.

Here are two particularly fine new CDs, though rather different from the usual ‘Ultimate Carol Collection’ or ‘Best Christmas CD Ever.’

Hieronymus Praetorius, Magnificats and motets
(The Cardinall’s Musick, Andrew Carwood)
Hieronymus Praetorius (1560-1629) – not to be confused with the slightly more famous Michael Praetorius (curiously not related) – worked in Hamburg and produced some ravishing and lively polyphonic music. This CD includes his masterpiece, the Magnificat quinti toni to which is attached two popular Christmas carols: Joseph, liber Joseph mein and In dulci jubilo (my favourite carol). The booklet notes that the former piece was ‘associated with the cradle-rocking ceremony at Christmas vespers – a priest would sit next to a cradle containing an effigy of the baby Jesus and would rock the cradle gently in time to the lilting rhythm of the music.’ The Cardinall’s Musick is one of our best choirs and its director, Andrew Carwood, was formerly Director of Music at the Brompton Oratory and is now in charge of the choir at St Paul’s Cathedral. For more information and samples, click here.

Natalis Cordat and Nicolas Saboly, Noel Baroque en Pays D’Oc
(La Camera delle Lacrime, Bruno Bonhoure)
This rather obscure CD contains C17 settings of French Noels by Natalis Cordat (c.1610-63), parish priest of Cussac-sur-Loire, and Nicolas Saboly, an organist in Avignon. It includes some familiar tunes, such as Li a pron de gens (allegedly written by Saboly to make fun of a lame priest he knew). The pieces are excitingly performed on period instruments and have a rustic charm, which makes you think back to C17 Provence. For more information and samples, click here.

A Glimpse of Heaven DVD

2008-11-24T19:26:00.006Z

Many of you will have a copy of Christopher Martin's A Glimpse of Heaven on your shelves, a handsome coffee table book about the most beautiful Catholic churches in England and Wales. This historical and architectural survey starts with the handful of pre-Reformation chapels in Catholic hands (East Hendred, Stonor, Ely Place, Slipper Chapel at Walsingham, Fitzalan Chapel at Arundel, Rotherwas) and finishes with the new Brentwood Cathedral, which is presented as a 'return to the past.'

Now there is a companion DVD, which has just arrived in the post and looks excellent, with good photography and commentaries from Christopher Martin and a host of special guests, including the bishop of Brentwood, the Abbot of Douai and Lord Camoys. I think I might show this to a parish group.

I was particularly interested in the chapters regarding C20 architecture, about which I know very little. There is a fairly balanced section on the 'liturgical and architectural revolution' of the 1960s and 70s, speaking of the tragic 'iconoclasm' of church buildings perpetuated by 'ignorant priests' and 'greedy architects.'

The double-DVD retails at £12.99 - but there's current a special offer in which you get both the book (worth £25) and DVD for only £25. A good idea for Christmas? Visit the Gracewing webpage and scroll down to A Glimpse of Heaven.

Poleiana

2008-11-19T12:59:00.005Z

Continuing the Cardinal Pole theme - today I popped over to Lambeth Palace, at the invitation of a friend who works in the Library and has been very helpful in advising the diocesan archive. They have displayed some 'Pole memorabilia' to commemorate the 450th anniversary of his death and to show the English and Welsh bishops, who were over there on Monday. Particularly impressive was the Cardinal's register, with a magnificent depiction of his coat of arms (with more tassels than I have ever seen on a cardinaltial arms). There is a picture here (go to 'Image of the Month: November').

The Times has a report of the Requiem Mass held on Monday at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Cardinal Pole and Mary I - 1558-2008

2008-11-17T23:22:00.005Z

Today is the 450th anniversary of the deaths of both Cardinal Pole, last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mary Tudor. The English and Welsh bishops met today and visited Lambeth Palace to honour the memory of Cardinal Pole; meanwhile, a number of Requiem Masses were held in Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham and London. I had the privilege of preaching at one of these:

We gather here this evening to remember a series of deaths that occurred exactly 450 years ago. At about six in the morning of 17 November 1558, Mary Tudor died at St James’ Palace, as Mass was being celebrated in her chamber and the priest was elevating the Sacred Host. Twelve hours later her cousin, Reginald Pole, Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and Archbishop of Canterbury, died across the river at Lambeth Palace. With them died hopes for an English Catholic restoration and the subsequent long reign of Elizabeth did much to consolidate the newly-founded Church of England.

The two cousins had much in common. Both had saintly mothers – in the Queen’s case, Catherine of Aragon (the discarded wife of Henry VIII, who remained loyal to the Catholic Faith and to the bonds of marriage); in the Cardinal’s case, Blessed Margaret Pole, the last of the Plantagenets and martyr. When Pole heard of her execution in May 1541, he declared that ‘until now I had thought God had given me the grace of being the son of the one of the best and most honoured ladies in England...but now he has vouchsafed to honour me still more by making me the son of a martyr.’ Both the Queen and the Cardinal also tried to heal the English schism but their efforts were cut short by premature death. Both have been largely vilified by posterity – the Queen remembered as ‘Bloody Mary’ and the Cardinal as her henchman.

At this Mass, we particularly pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Pole and we pay tribute to his legacy, even though when he died all his efforts seemed to have failed. Mgr Robert Hugh Benson once wrote that ‘it is hardly possible to imagine a character less suited, in popular estimation, to the needs of his time, than was that of Reginald Pole to the period of the English schism. They were days of fierceness, brutality and literally Machiavellian diplomacy; and the nature of the Cardinal who played so great a part in them was one of gentleness, kindness and simple transparence...It is no wonder then that the Cardinal, a lover of peace and study, sensitive in conscience and passionately zealous for souls, should, as the world reckons success, have failed in nearly every task to which he set his hand.’

In the eyes of the world, Pole was a failure. He failed in his various diplomatic missions or legations aimed against King Henry. He famously failed to be elected Pope by just a handful of votes in the Conclave of 1549 – so certain was his election thought to be that pontifical vestments were even made for him. He failed in his desire for the Church to reach reconciliation with the schismatics and, in fact, at the time of his death he was suspected by Rome of having Protestant sympathies - only the protection of Queen Mary prevented him from facing the Roman Inquisition. Moreover, his plans for Catholic restoration in England ultimately came to nothing.

Pole was perhaps a failure in temporal terms, and yet his failure can be seen also as a victory from the perspective of Divine grace. Though, unlike his mother, he was not called to shed his blood for the Faith, he risked much in defending the Papal primacy.

We remember him today as a great scholar and the friend of the likes of Michelangelo. We recall his central role in the opening sessions of the Council of Trent. Above all, we celebrate his achievements in England, even though they were left unfinished. On 30 November 1554 he reconciled the realm to the Holy See during an emotionally-charged service at Whitehall Palace. ‘If the angels in Heaven,’ the Cardinal said, ‘rejoice over the conversion of a single sinner, what must be their joy to-day at the sight of a whole kingdom which repenteth?’ Pole set aside St Andrew’s Day as an annual celebration of ‘the return this kingdom to the unity of the Church.’ The following Sunday Pole was at St Paul’s and the Lord Chancellor, Bishop Gardiner, preached on the theme, ‘Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.’

Pole told Parliament that he aimed ‘not to pull down but to build; to reconcile not to censure; to invite but without compulsion.’ He took a gradual and realist approach to the Catholic restoration, confirming property rights and refusing help from St Ignatius and the newly-founded Jesuits - not because he opposed them but because he thought England was not yet ready and because they had too close a connection to Spain. Pole organised a Legatine Synod, perhaps his greatest legacy.. He stressed the importance of the residence of clergy and of preaching and catechesis in each parish. Most notably, he decreed ‘that in Cathedrals a certain number of initiated persons be brought up, whence as from a Seminary, men may be chosen who may be worthily set over Churches...We especially wish,’ he added, ‘the children of the poor to be chosen into these seminaries.’ The Cardinal was one of the first to speak of seminaries and anticipated the Tridentine decrees, though his vision would not be actualised in his own country for another 250 years.

But these battles and dreams have long since ended for our Cardinal. We pray that he is now at peace, united with his mother, the Blessed Margaret. Though we live in very different times, the battles that Pole fought so courageously have now passed down to us. The words of Bishop Gardiner, preached on that First Sunday of Advent 1554, echo in our ears: ‘Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.’ Like the Cardinal, it is up to us not so much to pull down but to build; to reconcile rather than simply to censure; to work for the unity of the Church and to re-evangelise our increasingly ‘post-Christian’ culture. As Fr Aidan Nichols showed recently, much of this project has to happen within the Church – the re-enchantment of the Sacred Liturgy, the on-going revival of catechesis and preaching, the rediscovery of the Catholic reading of the Bible, the preaching of the Gospel of Life and, most importantly, the continual striving for holiness on the part of us all. Cardinal Pole would approve of all these targets. As we pray for the repose of his soul (and also that of Mary Tudor), we continue to pray and work for the conversion of England.

Credit Crunch

2008-11-06T09:47:00.003Z

Since everyone is currently talking about politics, especially in the wake of the American election, here is Chicago's Fr Robert Barron on the current financial crisis:

Know Popery 2008

2008-11-06T09:22:00.006Z

Last year the parish priest of Lewes started an annual lecture with the striking title 'Know Popery,' to counter the infamous pope-burning celebrations held in the Sussex town on 5 November.

This year Fr Richard Whinder is talking on 'Bishop Richard Challoner: From Lewes to London' - in honour of the great writer and Vicar Apostolic of the London District who was born at Chiddingly, seven miles outside Lewes, on 29 September 1691. He was the only son of Richard Challoner, a wine cooper and ‘a rigid Dissenter’, and his wife Grace Willard. The future bishop was baptised as an Anglican and only fully encountered the Catholic Faith after his father’s death, when Mrs Challoner gained employment in the household of a local recusant landowner, Sir John Gage, at Firle.

The 'Know Popery' lecture takes place tonight (6 November) in St Pancras Church, Irelands Lane, Lewes at 8pm (with Benediction at 7.45).

Towards Advent

2008-11-04T17:13:00.002Z

Just to reminder you that the 'Towards Advent' Festival is this Saturday (8th November) at Westminster Cathedral Hall. Doors open from 10am and at 10.30 His Eminence will officially open proceedings, with the help of the choir of La Retraite School, Clapham Park.

There are two speakers: first, at 11 am, is Aidan Nichols, OP, who is talking on the Conversion of England. He is followed at 12.30pm by the Roman Miscellenist and I'll be looking at the Westminster Cardinals (of the past rather than the future!). Tickets for these talks are available on the day, priced (I think) at £3.

At 3pm Jeremy de Satge will lead a Workshop on Gregorian Chant. All day there are displays by Catholic groups and organisations and stalls selling books, DVDs, Christmas gifts, etc. Joanna Bogle will also be leading tours of the Cathedral.

It's a fun and inspiring day - especially since it gives an insight into all the good things happening in the English Catholic Church. So do come along!

Pastoralia

2008-11-03T23:11:00.007Z

It’s been a busy time in the parish – the weekend before last we had an episcopal visitation and this coming week we have a Parish Mission, preached by the wonderful Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, based in Canning Town. They’ll be preaching at all Masses and conducting evening ‘sessions’ from Monday to Thursday. Hopefully they’ll shake us all up a bit.

Tonight, being All Souls Day, the parish had its first scheduled EF Mass (one of two being celebrated in the Deanery). It had only been advertised in two Sunday newsletters but about 60 parishioners eventually turned up. Many seemed familiar with the Usus Antiquior – though not intended to be a dialogue Mass, the congregation made the responses (and did it quite well). They also had no problems in acting accordingly at Holy Communion. Most impressive was the silence – never have I heard our church so quiet. There was no shuffling, no moving around the church and no mobiles going off. Cally’s Kitchen served and his sister took some photos - more can be found on his blog:

Defensor Fidei

2008-10-31T18:32:00.004Z

Everyone knows that Henry VIII was granted the title 'Defender of the Faith' by the Pope a few years before he split with Rome, since he had proved to be an eloquent opponent of Luther in his Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (penned with the help of St John Fisher).

I recently came across an account of King James II, then in exile, visiting La Trappe and sitting in the sanctuary during High Mass on 25 November 1690. 'At the beginning of the Gospel,' writes Ailbe J. Luddy, O.Cist in The Real De Rance (Dublin 1931), 'he unsheathed his sword and held it aloft in his right hand until the deacon had finished: this was the custom of the English Sovereigns since the time when Henry VIII received from the Pope the title Defensor Fidei. He received Holy Communion, kneeling on the second step of the altar, and heard a low Mass in thanksgiving.'

I must confess I had never heard of this custom before. Did Henry VIII wield a sword during solemn Masses before the Reformation or was it a tradition created by James II? Can anybody enlighten me?

Incidentally, Fisher Press has just published a new edition of the King's Assertio Septem Sacramentorum, with an introduction by historian Richard Rex (Reader in Reformation History at Queen's College, Cambridge):

New Beati

2008-10-19T12:33:00.004+01:00

Turning on EWTN for a moment this morning, I was reminded that today is the day of the beatification of the parents of St Therese at Lisieux. Of course, the annals of the saints contain many examples of parents and children who have been raised to the altars: St Helena, mother of St Constantine; St Monica, mother of St Augustine; St Wilfrida, mother of St Edith of Wilton; St Ethebert of Kent, father of St Ethelburga (who married St Edwin of Northumbria). But it's unusual for both parents of a saint to be recognised for their sanctity, especially in the modern age.

I hope eventually they will be included in the Universal Calendar (presumably after their eventual canonisation, Deo volente) since the Martin family remind us that holiness is possible in a modern family and that, with the help of God's grace, the ups and downs of family life are a means to this.

Indeed, despite their many secular responsibilities, both Louis and Zelie had deep prayer lives and made their family a veritable domestic church. The fruits of their love and devotion can be seen in the subsequent lives of their daughters - all of them (eventually) nuns and one a Doctor of the Church (whose relics will 'tour' the UK next year). Louis and Zelie also had to face many trials and both died after long and painful illnesses (in Zelie's case, at a young age).

Blesseds Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

The Papal Zouaves

2008-10-04T12:08:00.007+01:00

I've just read a recently-published book, The Pope's Legion: The Multinational Fighting Force that Defended the Vatican, by Charles A. Coulombe. It's the first English study of the Papal Zouaves in over a century and serves as a good introduction to this regiment of volunteers from all over Christendom who banded together to defend Blessed Pius IX and his temporal sovereignty between 1860 and 1871.

The New York Herald of 10 June 1868 numbered the zouaves at 4,592, including 50 Englishmen, 10 Scots, 101 Irish, 14 Americans and 135 Canadians. Even Africa and China were represented. The largest nationality was, perhaps surprisingly, the Dutch (1,910), followed by the French (1,301).

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the Appendix, containing 'Songs of the Zouaves' and a homily preached by Mgr Ignacio Barreiro of HLI at a Mass in Memory of the Pope's Soldiers. There is a useful list of 'Zouave Sites,' ranging from the monument in the Lateran's Blessed Sacrament Chapel to the Netherlands Zoavenmuseum at Oudenbosch, near the Basilica of SS Agatha and Barbara built in the Zouaves' honour (a must visit, it seems, if you happen to be passing Oudenbosch). In France there are several 'uniformed societies of descendants and re-enactors,' such as the Societe Royale des Zouaves Pontificaux de Thuin and a similar organisation at Jumet. Every parish needs one:

Coulombe's book tells a thrilling story, although those who know little about the process of Italian Unification might get lost amidst the narrative of battles and campaigns. It would also have been good to have had more quotes from primary sources. However I'm delighted that a book has been published about this neglected story and hopefully future studies will bring us more details about recruitment, organisation, the daily life of the Zouave and the individuals who joined.

The English Zouaves included:

Alfred Collingridge, who left a Jesuit novitiate in order to join and died in action.

George Collingridge, his brother, who later emigrated to Australia and became a well known wood engraver and author.

James Coventry from the New Forest who later became a skilled photographer - a book was recently published about him.

Joseph Stanislaus Hansom, son of the famous architect and inventor of the 'Hansom cab,' who himself entered his father's profession. The former Zouave designed the churches of the Holy Name, Manchester; Arundel Cathedral; St Aloysius, Oxford (now the Oratory); Our Lady, Teignmouth; the Servite Churches at Bognor and Fulham, and portions of Fort Augustus Abbey and Portsmouth Cathedral.

John George Kenyon, who was received into the Church while at Christ Church, Oxford (1870) and joined the Zouaves shortly afterwards. He built the church at Gillingham and was named a Private Chamberlain to Leo XIII.

Joseph Powell, author of Two Years in the Pontifical Zouaves.

Bartholomew Teeling, who later became the first Secretary of the Catholic Union of Ireland and was named a Private Chamberlain by St Pius X in 1907.He wrote My First Prisoner, a tale of Rome in the first days of its occupation by Victor Emmanuel.

Julian Watts-Russell (‘Giulio’), son of the Vicar of Benefield who converted in 1845 and joined the Zouaves, together with his brother Wilfrid. Julian was killed at the battle of Mentana (1867), one of the most notable papal victories, and was treated almost as a martyr; his monument is still preserved at the Venerable English College, Rome. Interestingly, the year after his death Julian's father, Michael (a widower), was ordained as a Westminster priest. Another brother, Michael junior, became a Passionist and superior of their house at Highgate.

St Thecla

2008-09-23T22:29:00.004+01:00

It's the Year of St Paul - and yet I wonder how many people remembered that today is the feast of St Thecla. Perhaps a few of the locals in Milan, Tarragona and other towns where she is patron (the above picture, by Tiepolo, depicts the saint freeing Este from the plague). But since disappearing from the liturgical calendars in 1969 and not even being mentioned in the most recent edition of the Roman Martyrology, she has largely been forgotten and consigned to the dustbin of 'myths and legends.'

St Thecla, of course, was St Paul's most famous female disciple. According to some early sources she was even deemed ‘equal to the apostles.’ The main account for her life is found in the apocryphal Acts of SS Paul and Thecla. This text states that St Thecla was a noble lady from Iconium who, on the eve of her wedding, sat at her window mesmerized by the preaching of St Paul, who happened to be passing through the city.

From that moment Christ won over her heart and she was soon brought before the Governor, who condemned her to death by burning. She was saved by a miraculous hailstorm, which put the fire out, and she ran to St Paul and asked for baptism. The Apostle wanted to test her and delayed her baptism, taking her with him to Antioch, where once again she was captured and, this time, thrown to the wild beasts. Luckily the saint was protected by a she-lion and (rather unusually) baptized herself by diving into a pool of water in the amphitheatre. I suppose the point was that her willingness to face death was itself baptism by blood, although she survived both of her martyrdoms. Because of her sufferings, however, she is called ‘Apostle and protomartyr among women’.

St Thecla then made her escape to the Apostle dressed as a man. For many years, she lived as an ascetic in a cave (rather like St Mary Magdalen) and a monastery was later built on the site. St Ambrose later presented the saint as a model for virgins and women religious. Another tradition says that she travelled with St Paul to Spain, where (as mentioned above) she is patron of Tarragona.

Not surprisingly, St Thecla has on occasion been hijacked by feminists; even Tertullian, writing in the second century, complained that some Christians were using the saint’s story to legitimize women preaching and baptizing. The saint, though, is a reminder that women had an active involvement in the early Church and were closely linked to the Pauline mission. I for one see no reason to doubt that St Paul had a zealous female disciple called Thecla, who may very well have come from Iconium and faced persecution.

Benedict XVI on Pius XII

2008-09-22T22:33:00.003+01:00

On 18th September the Holy Father addressed the participants of a Symposium on Pius XII. Here are some extracts from his speech, which succinctly corrects some of the anti-Pius prejudices which we hear and read in the media:

Fifty years have passed since his pious death here at Castel Gandolfo early on the ninth of October 1958, after a debilitating disease. This anniversary provides an important opportunity to deepen our knowledge of him, to meditate on his rich teaching and to analyze thoroughly his activities. So much has been written and said of him during these last five decades and not all of the genuine facets of his diverse pastoral activity have been examined in a just light.

When one draws close to this noble Pope, free from ideological prejudices, in addition to being struck by his lofty spiritual and human character one is also captivated by the example of his life and the extraordinary richness of his teaching. One can also come to appreciate the human wisdom and pastoral intensity which guided him in his long years of ministry, especially in providing organized assistance to the Jewish people...Wherever possible he spared no effort in intervening in their favour either directly or through instructions given to other individuals or to institutions of the Catholic Church. [He made] many interventions, secretly and silently, precisely because, given the concrete situation of that difficult historical moment, only in this way was it possible to avoid the worst and save the greatest number of Jews.

This courageous and paternal dedication was recognized and appreciated during and after the terrible world conflict by Jewish communities and individuals who showed their gratitude for what the Pope had done for them. One need only recall Pius XII's meeting on the 29th of November 1945 with eighty delegates of German concentration camps who during a special Audience granted to them at the Vatican, wished to thank him personally for his generosity to them during the terrible period of Nazi-fascist persecution.

For the full text, click here.

Weddings

2008-09-20T19:26:00.003+01:00

There must be something in the air. I haven't officiated at a wedding for two and a half years now and was fast forgetting the niceties of matrimonial rubrics. I've done plenty of paperwork, for sure, but couples were tending to return home to get married - places like Mauritius, Venezuela, Mexico and Poland.

In the last few days, however, the wedding drought has ended for I have four wedding ceremonies in my diary. Hurrah! These include one in Westminster Cathedral in December and a rather splendid-sounding military wedding next year, involving a member of Her Majesty's Household Cavalry. For the first time ever (I suspect) the Balls Pond Road will see scarlet tunics and bearskins and the outside of the church will resemble Buckingham Palace!

Glad to see that matrimony is back in fashion - at least for the time being.

APGL Conference

2008-09-19T23:38:00.002+01:00

I've been asked to advertise the following conference, organised by the excellent Association of Priests for the Gospel of Life and open to clergy:

Wednesday 29 October 2008
St Wilfrid’s Hall
The London Oratory
Brompton Road, SW7 2RP
The Conference is open to all priests.
Deacons and seminarians are also welcome.

Programme
Registration at 11.15am
Keynote Speaker: Fr John Saward
(author of Redeemer in the womb,
The way of the Lamb etc) will speak on:

‘Pius XII and Preaching the Gospel of Life’

A buffet lunch will be provided.
Pro-life literature will be available.

The afternoon session will include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (with Confessions), Rosary and Benediction.
Tea will be served after Benediction and the Conference will conclude by 4pm

To help us with catering, please leave a message on 020 8300 2697 or send an email to conference@apgl.org.uk if you are coming to the conference.
There is no charge but donations will be welcome.

The Oratory is next to the Victoria and Albert Museum. (Nearest tube station South Kensington.) Enter the courtyard in front of the Oratory House.
St Wilfrid’s Hall is upstairs in the building on the left.

The English Catholic Way

2008-09-16T16:58:00.009+01:00

The last few weeks I've been pre-occupied with preparing several presentations. On Saturday I returned to the church of my baptism, Ealing Abbey, to give some talks on 'Mary in the Mystery of Christ and His Church' for the excellent Maryvale Certificate in Catechesis. This is a part-time distance-learning course, spread over two years and involving a number of written assignments and study days. The 'students' came from all over London and represented a variety of ages and backgrounds. I fully recommend it to priest and catechist readers - for further information, visit the website.

I've just returned from our Pastoral Centre at London Colney, giving a day of recollection for the diocesan ethnic chaplains. As I've said before, the Centre was originally an Anglican convent and boasts a stunning chapel by Ninian Comper. I was especially pleased to celebrate Mass this morning under the splendid baldacchino (see above), instead of using the modern altar placed at the church's West End.

The theme I was asked to speak on was the 'English Catholic Way.' I gave the chaplains an overview of our ecclesiastical history and then tried to draw out the chief characteristics of traditional English spirituality. I came up with the following list:

A great love for Our Lady (England as Mary's Dowry)
A close relationship with Rome (as seen in the long tradition of pilgrimages to the Eternal City and the English origins of 'Peter's Pence')
Love of solitude (England was once famous for its hermits)
Gentleness and moderation (many English spiritual writers display practical realism and a deep understanding of human nature. They don't like to confine themselves to a rigid system)
This does not necessarily mean weakness and compromise, though, for the Faith survived long years of persecution and produced a crop of martyrs
A profound devotion to the Mass - 'it is the Mass that matters'
Formality, especially in the Sacred Liturgy and Prayer
A tradition of migration and exile

I would quite like to expand this theme and would be interested to hear of your thoughts regarding the characteristics (at least historically) of English Catholicism.

The Catholicism Project

2008-09-12T12:43:00.002+01:00

I've mentioned Fr Robert Barron of Chicago in the past since I've used his DVDs in the parish and often keep an eye on his website. Here is a trailer about his most recent project, a beautifully produced ten-part series giving a positive and confident exposition of our Faith. Take a look at this:

WYD '08

2008-09-11T21:41:00.003+01:00

World Youth Day is old news, I know, but tonight the five young people (and one adult) from our parish who travelled to Sydney (forming 3.5% of the total number of Westminster pilgrims) gave a splendid presentation about their experience.

They all testified to returning from WYD as changed people - as could be seen in the confidence with which they spoke about the Faith. They said that it had made them proud to be Catholic, brought them closer to God and more devoted to the Church and the Holy Father. Some had been to confession for the first time in years, others found a new desire to pray and one has begun attending Mass on weekdays, whenever possible. Another pilgrim is now co-ordinating our Confirmation programme.

Being a young person in London, and especially in a place like Hackney (with its poverty and high crime rate), is not easy, but the spirit of WYD seems to have given them hope and a sort of utopian vision of what society can be like - they compared the coldness of London to the warmth of Sydney during the festival, where strangers greeted each other and many friendships made, united in the One Faith.

Even the non-Catholic representatives of a local charity that had donated a substantial amount of money to pay for the flights thought the whole thing a worthwhile 'investment.' It certainly is, but the challenge now is to ensure that this enthusiasm is channelled in the right direction and built upon, especially since some of the young people are now starting University.

White Mountain

2008-09-05T14:35:00.010+01:00

Prague is closely connected to the Thirty Years War (1618-48). The conflict started in Prague Castle on 23 May 1618 when tensions between Catholics and Protestants peaked after two Catholic Governors were thrown out of a window by Protestant nobles during a meeting of the Bohemian Estates. Luckily the unfortunate pair landed safely on a pile of manure and survived - thanks, it was piously believed, to the intervention of angels. This may have been the window in the Chancery out of which they were thrown:

The following year the Protestant nobles deposed Ferdinand II as King of Bohemia and elected the Protestant Elector Palatine, Frederick, who was married to James I's daughter, Elizabeth Stuart, and is known as the 'Winter King' due to his short reign. At first, things went well for the Protestant Bohemians, but they were decisively defeated at the Battle of White Mountain (Bílá hora), on the outskirts of Prague, on 8 November 1620.

A decisive factor in the battle was a Spanish Carmelite, the Venerable Dominic á Jesu Maria (who can just be made out in the fresco above), who blessed the Catholic troops with an image of the Adoration of the Shepherds which had been defaced by Protestants and he had rescued from the town of Strakonice. The picture was later taken to Rome and placed in the Carmelite church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (more famous for Bernini's St Teresa in Ectasy). Unfortunately the miraculous image was destroyed, together with the High Altar, in a fire in 1833, though a copy can be seen there today.

Near the battlefield of White Mountain, a pilgrimage church, also dedicated to Our Lady of Victories, was later built and another copy of the picture can be seen above the High Altar.

If you're in Prague, it's well worth making the short excursion to Bílá hora, which is a tram terminus and so quite easy to get to. As well as visiting the pilgrimage church (which we accessed by ringing the bell) and trudging around the field behind, you can visit a star-shaped hunting lodge (Hvězda) in which there is a small exhibition. Here is the Roman Miscellenist at the memorial to the fallen on the White Mountain:

After the battle the Catholic forces entered Prague, the 'Winter King' fled and Ferdinand II was restored. The way was prepared for the triumph of Catholicism in Bohemia - with the help of the Jesuits and other Orders, the towns were evangelized and many of the fine churches that now ornament the Prague skyline were built. According to one school of history, White Mountain was a national calamity, leading to a loss of independence (Bohemia was now firmly wedded to the Holy Roman Empire) and the decline of Czech culture and language. However, I was pleased to see the English leaflet available to visitors argue: 'in terms of cultural orientation and linguisitic knowledge, however, the majority of the Protestant leaders of the Estates were actually German. Conversely, in the following centuries, the Catholic Church deserves the main credit for averting the demise of the Czech language and folk culture and also for promoting the unprecedented development of baroque art in the Bohemian lands.'

The Golden City

2008-09-04T21:21:00.000+01:00

Last week I spent a few nights in Prague, which I fully recommend to anybody since it is affordable (when compared to Western Europe) and very beautiful (an intact Baroque city). It is the 'city of a hundred spires':

a city of stunning churches:

a city which gave the Abbess of its oldest convent (St George's in the castle compound) the privilege of wearing a coronet:

a city in which you occasionally find grafitti in Latin:

a city of great beers - and which openly sells Absinthe, a highly alcoholic drink made from wormwood and banned in many countries:

Over the next few days I will try to do some further Prague posts.

The Church Suffering

2008-08-25T19:05:00.003+01:00

That splendid charity, Aid to the Church in Need, has asked me to advertise their annual Westminster Event, which I'm very happy to do.

Entitled 'Never Forgotten - The Suffering Church,' it will take place in the Cathedral Hall on Saturday 27th September, kicking off with Sung Latin Mass (Ordinary Form) celebrated by the Archbishop of Baghdad in the Cathedral at 10.30am. From 12 noon there will be a series of talks in the Hall, the speakers including the Iraqi Archbishop and Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Tickets are available here.

The Church Universal

2008-08-23T15:18:00.007+01:00

You don't need to go the Vatican to get a flavour of the Universal Church. Take my parish here in Hackney. This afternoon I baptized two children from Angola and said prayers with a refugee from Rwanda. We've also had a number of house guests this last week - including a Czech seminarian from the Archdiocese of Olomouc and a priest of the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia (which I visited in January).

And five minutes ago, as I was finishing my Sunday homily, the Archbishop of Ibaden (currently President of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference) walked into my room! He's been in London celebrating his 70th birthday with his family and was popping in to see my next-door neighbour, the National Nigerian Chaplain.

Just another typical parochial day!

I'm away for a few days next week, so let me wish you all a pleasant Bank Holiday weekend.

A Recording of Cardinal Manning's Voice

2008-08-11T16:49:00.005+01:00

Flicking through a volume of The Tablet from 1894 the other day - as you do - I found a fascinating report of a phonograph that was made of Cardinal Manning's voice as he lay dying in 1891 (he finally passed away on 14 January 1892). He was encouraged to do this by his friend, Charles Kent (author of The Modern Seven Wonders of the World), and the recording was made by Edison's representative in the UK, Colonel Gouraud. 'In the beautiful library of the Cardinal,' we read in the report, originally printed in the Pall Mall Gazette, 'the message was dictated and afterwards reproduced, to the unconcealed pleasure and amazement of its author.'

Three recordings were made - one for Cardinal Gibbons in America, another for Pope Leo XIII ('the reception of which made a great effect upon the Pontiff, who could hardly believe that it was not the actual voice of his friend that he heard') and the third for posterity, to be played only after the Cardinal's death death. 'Upon my handing him the cylinder,' wrote Colonel Gouraud, 'the Cardinal took it with a curious expression in his eyes, as if he were trying to realize that the next time the message was heard he would be in his grave.'

The message was finally played on 16 February 1894 in a large reception room of Whitehall Court. Distinguished guests were invited, rather morbidly, 'to meet his Eminence Cardinal Vaughan and Henricus Edwardus Cardinalis Manning, Archepiscopus Westmonasteriensis.' Those assembled included the Cardinal's faithful Secretary, Mgr Johnson, the American Ambassador and a representative of the Prime Minister, Sir Algernon West. 'The scene was a very impressive one and the audience listened with bated breath to the faint scratching of the phonograph...the message came forth slowly, solenly, deliberately, and with long pauses of thought: "To all who come after me; I hope that no words of mine, written or spoken in my life, will be found to have done harm to any one after I am dead - Henry Edward Manning, Cardinal Archbishop." A few other voices were put upon the phonograph after this, including those of Tennyson, Browning, General Sharman, and others who in life will never be heard again. It is the intention of Colonel Gouraud some day to deposit these priceless treasures in the British Museum. Till then they will in all probability never be listened to in England again' (Tablet, 24 Feb 1894, pp290-291).

I must investigate to see if this valuable recording is to be found in the British Library's hi-tech Sound Archive.

UPDATE: I've received a reply from the British Library saying that they don't have the recording in their collection and don't know whether it survived. It's the sort of thing that might be lying around in an attic somewhere!

Amazing Technicolour Chasuble

2008-08-09T00:02:00.001+01:00

Remember this?

...the official vestments for World Youth Day in Paris (1997). Well, here's the eighteenth century equivalent, which I stumbled across while setting up for one of my Masses in Piedmont last week:

However, given the modern-day cultural connotations I'm sure this item is kept in the drawer as a curiosity piece...

Some Holiday Snaps

2008-08-08T22:29:00.012+01:00

I'm back from ten days of touring the Italian Lakes and spending time with my parents (where there isn't very good internet access). Last week I was enjoying the area around Lago Maggiore and staying at the Rosminian houses at Stresa and Domodossola. It was perfect holiday - plenty of this:

Good solid 'autentico' Italian fare, to help us recover from all the church-crawling:

This is the friary of Madonna del Sasso above Lucarno, Switzerland. Lake Maggiore has shores in both Italy and Switzerland, so it was possible to cross the border and briefly leave the E.U. (without any customs or passport checks). Stresa, our main base, has a charming Victorian air about it (there's even a statue of Queen Victoria in the grounds of a hotel that she used). It is the resting place of the once-controversial and now newly-beatified Antonio Rosmini, the friend of several popes, prolific philosopher and founder of the Institute of Charity and Sisters of Providence. Here is his monument at Collegio Rosmini:

His tomb is in the crypt below - looks rather like the proposed monument to Newman at the Birmingham Oratory. One Rosminian I met speculated that both Rosmini and Newman will be Doctors of the Church within 20 years - and both, of course, had their orthodoxy questioned in the nineteenth century:

This is the house where the beatus died in 1855. It is now a centre for Rosminian studies:

His bust can also be found by the lakeside:

The final ingredient of the holiday - lots of outstanding natural beauty to refresh the city-wearied soul:

Summer School and Summer Holidays

2008-07-28T23:33:00.005+01:00

I spent the day at Ardingly College, an independent school in the rolling Sussex countryside, not too far from Gatwick. Notable old Ardinians include Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye. Anyway this week it is the home of the St Catherine's Trust Summer School, which aims 'to support Catholic families in the education of their children in the Catholic Faith. In an educational environment increasingly hostile to the Faith, both home-schooled and conventionally educated Catholic children can benefit from a week’s genuinely Catholic school environment. Focusing on the humanities, students have an opportunity to reflect on our great Catholic heritage of literature and art, on the role of the Church in history, and on Catholic philosophy.'

Each day includes EF Mass, rosary, chant/polyphony classes and sung compline. I was invited to give my usual talk on the English Cardinals, which I enjoyed doing despite the miserable heat. I was very encouraged by the 55 (or so) children who are attending the course and by the professional way it is organised - parents are encouraged to look at the website and consider sending their teenagers next year!

Tomorrow I'm off to Lombardy and the Italian Lakes for a few nights, followed by some time at home with my parents - so no posts for a while.

Westminster Voices

2008-07-24T14:43:00.005+01:00

The Archdiocese of Westminster has just launched its first podcast - and since I'm featured on it, it is sort of my first podcast too. I was asked to provide some historical input and chose to speak about the 1908 International Eucharistic Congress, held in Westminster. Other 'voices' heard on the programme are those of Bishop John Arnold and Fr Paschal Ryan, the chaplain to Heathrow airport.

I never like listening to myself but I had a sneak preview and the whole thing seems well put together and edited, thanks to the skill of the producer, Nick Patrick (who normally works for BBC Radio 4).

L'Arpeggiata

2008-07-17T22:17:00.003+01:00

Fr Blake has recently been delighting us with pictures and clips of lutes and lutenists. Well, I've long been meaning to post some videos of one of my favourite early music groups - Christina Pluhar's L'Arpeggiata. The first clip is a seventeenth century madrigal, Bastiao, featuring the famous King's Singers:

The second is a Tarantella dance composed by the Jesuit polymath, Fr Athanasius Kircher, most noted for his scientific work:

And finally a lively Jacaras:

Who says 'old' music is boring?

Recusant Messenger

2008-07-16T20:39:00.002+01:00

Ad Universalis Ecclesiae is an interesting new blog by Dr Simon Johnson, 'dedicated to bringing those with an interest in English Catholic History, the English Catholic Diaspora and the current state of the English Catholic church together.' The author is currently working in conjunction with the bishops to promote the history of the English Catholic institutions overseas (resulting from the recusant 'diaspora') and to turn his doctoral thesis on the English College, Lisbon into a book.

The 'Second Spring' in Leicestershire

2008-07-15T22:10:00.017+01:00

I visited a priest friend in the East Midlands today. His parish couldn't be more different from a London one - a large geographical area, a charming little church in one of his 18 villages, a close-knit congregation where most people know each other by name and (most strikingly) a presbytery where the phone and doorbell rarely sounds!

We had a most enjoyable drive around some of the local Catholic sites, especially in the Charnwood area which owes many of its foundations to the vision of a nineteenth century convert, Ambrose Phillipps de Lisle. He was a friend of Pugin and a great patron of the Trappists and the Rosminians. His home was Grace Dieu Manor, built in the 1830s, enlarged by Pugin and now a school run by the Rosminians. The grounds were most impressive and are used by the diocese of Nottingham for an annual Rosary Rally:

Grace Dieu served as the centre of Catholicism in the area and the great Rosminian missioner, Fr Luigi Gentili, lived here for a time, as he toured the surrounding villages and established missions. One of these was erected at nearby Shepshed and Gentili's chapel can still be seen (though it is now a private house):

In the grounds of Grace Dieu are the ruins of a medieval priory of Augustinian Canonesses, founded 1235-41 and referred to as 'the church of the Holy Trinity of the Grace of God [Grace Dieu] at Belton dedicated to God and St Mary.'
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The ruins inspired Wordsworth to write:

Beneath yon eastern ridge, the craggy bound,
Rugged and high, of Charnwood’s forest ground,
Stand yet, but, Stranger, hidden from thy view
The ivied ruins of forlorn Grace Dieu,
Erst a religious House, which day and night
With hymns resounded and the chanted rite

Grace Dieu Priory is supposedly haunted by a 'White Lady,' one of the nuns, but she seems to have been otherwise occupied for we only saw a group of friendly cyclists.

Ratcliffe was the next stop - built by Pugin as a novitiate and school for the Rosminians. It is still in the hands of the Institute of Charity and a successful independent school (old boys include one of our auxiliaries, Bishop John Arnold):

The key attraction for me was the little cemetery:

Here, in the corner, are the tombs of Fr William Lockhart and his mother Martha, respectively the first parish priest and benefactor of my current parish. I'm putting together a short life of Fr Lockhart and will be travelling to the Rosminian Archive in Stresa at the end of the month:
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St Lucius, King of Britain

2008-07-11T23:03:00.004+01:00

I’ve always been fascinated by the legend of a mysterious British King, St Lucius, who supposedly wrote to Pope St Eleutherius (above) in the late 17os to request baptism. Missionaries were dutifully sent and the King subsequently founded several churches, including a ‘Cathedral’ in London on the site of St Peter-upon-Cornhill.

St Bede writes: ‘while the holy Eleutherius ruled the Roman Church, Lucius, a British King, sent him a letter, asking to be made a Christian by his direction. This pious request was quickly granted, and the Britons received the Faith and held it peacefully in all its purity and fullness until the time of the Emperor Diocletian.’ The King later abdicated and travelled to Switzerland as a missionary, where he won a martyr’s crown. His shrine can still be found at Chur.

Thus states the legend. In 1904 the story was ‘deconstructed’ by the German historian Carl Gustav Adolph von Harnack, who suggested that St Lucius had been mixed up with Lucius Abgar IX (179-214), King of Edessa and a contemporary of St Eleutherius. The confusion may have resulted when the Edessian fortress of Birtha was latinised into Britium Edessenorum. In the hands of a medieval copyist, Britio may have become Britannio. This theory seems to have been accepted almost universally over the last 100 years.

But the archaeologist, David J. Knight, has just written a whole book about the legend of King Lucius of Britain. It arrived in the post yesterday and the few chapters I’ve managed to read convincingly question Harnack’s deconstructive theory and opens the way to proposing that St Lucius actually did exist!

One of the many interesting details – especially for those in the Archdiocese of Westminster – is the traditional list of the ‘Archbishops of London’ between the reign of St Lucius and the coming of St Mellitus, the bishop of London appointed after the mission of St Augustine of Canterbury. There would be no more Catholic Archbishops in London until 1850…

Thean (c.179-185)
Eluanus
Cadar
Obinus
Conan
Paludius
Stephen (martyr, +17 September 304)
Augulus (martyr, +7 September 305)
Iltutus Restitutus (attended the Council of Arles, 314)
Dedwin
Thedred
Hilary (c.367)
Fastidius (c. 431)
Guidelium (c.410)
Vodinus (martyr, +23 July 436)
Theanus (c. 587)

Note the three martyrs, SS Stephen, Augulus and Vodinus, now totally forgotten. These cults were probably discouraged by St Augustine, who preferred the ancient Roman martyrs and arranged for their relics to be brought to England to replace those of the more dubious British saints.

If you’re interested in the origins of Christianity in this country, then you’ll find Knight’s book very interesting…

My Dickensian Great-Grandfather

2008-07-08T22:44:00.007+01:00

Apologies, I haven't posted for ages - as other bloggers will know, the longer you leave between posts the harder it is to get round to posting anything. It's been a busy time but things are gradually winding down for the summer and today I had my first proper day-off (i.e. actually away from the presbytery) for several weeks.

I had a wonderfully domestic day with my parents - celebrating Mass, mowing the lawn and writing up some notes my mother had scribbled about her parents, both of whom died in the 1950s and therefore long before my time. I thought it would be good to preserve these memories for posterity.

It was particularly interesting to find out more about my great-grandfather, Charles Grigsby. All I knew about him was that he was quite a character (and I suspect a bit of a rogue), wrote a few books about Charles Dickens (using the pen name 'Edwin Charles') and apparently knew both Belloc and Chesterton. I thought that this last detail was no more than dubious family legend but I discovered today - much to my excitement - that Chesterton actually provided the 'Foreword' to my great-grandfather's second book, Some Dickens Women, which I quickly ordered via the internet. Moreover, it seems that Ronald Knox gave the book a favourable review, though he lamented that Mary the housemaid (from the Pickwick Papers) had not been given a place amongst the other Dickensian characters.

The war correspondent and novelist Sir Philip Gibbs, wrote the ‘Foreword’ to the sequel, Some Dickens Men, and referred to ‘Edwin Charles’ as ‘an old friend of mine in the Street of Adventure [i.e. Fleet Street]. He is a regular Dickens character, steeped in the works of that master as few living Englishmen, and touched not a little with the best quality, the noble optimism in adversity, of Mr Micawber himself.’ Great Grandpa confessed that ‘from my boyhood’s days, Dickens has been my constant companion, my consolation and my delight. My love for him is part of my inmost self and will continue to be so till the Author of all things shall write “finis” to my book of life.’

He died in 1950, aged 88, and his obituary in the Ilford Recorder reported that ‘Mr Grigsby added considerably to the colour and spice of life which he enjoyed to the full’ and that ‘he was a fine speaker, using all the arts of wit and poise and at times jamming his famous monocle in his eye to crush an interrupter with a glare.’ Furthermore, ‘his silver hair and handsome face and his courtly manners made him the most distinguished figure in any company.’

Hmmm, I must find out more about him!

400th Anniversary of a Martyrdom

2008-06-23T09:10:00.003+01:00

Today is the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of St Thomas Garnet, who suffered at Tyburn on 23 June 1608. On Saturday evening I celebrated Mass at Tyburn Convent for those who had made the Martyrs' Walk (organised by Miles Jesu and led by Joanna Bogle) and I took the opportunity to honour St Thomas Garnet in the homily:

Deep below the streets that surround us lies the river Tyburn, a tributary of the Thames that gave its name to a small village on this spot and the infamous gallows (or ‘Tyburn Tree’) that served the capital as a place of execution between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries. Like London’s other lost rivers, the Tyburn has long since been hidden underground and largely forgotten – although the Mayor of London has recently proposed raising some of these waterways once again to the surface.

By making the Martyrs’ Walk today, we have raised up to the surface of our memories the many Catholics who suffered here and in other parts of London and the country. We not only remember their brave witness but are fully confident that the blood of the martyrs provides us with a channel – indeed a river – of grace and intercession. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.

I'd like to especially recall one of the Tyburn martyrs, the Jesuit St Thomas Garnet, the 400th anniversary of whose death we celebrate on Monday (23rd June).

The saint was born in Southwark around 1575 and was the nephew of Henry Garnet, the famous Superior of the English Jesuits at the time of the Gunpowder Plot. After being educated at a grammar school in Horsham, St Thomas Garnet went overseas to continue his education, like so many other Catholics of the day: he first spent time at the Jesuit college of St Omers. This institution later moved to Stonyhurst and Garnet is considered its first martyr (or protomartyr). Garnet then proceeded to the English College at Vallodolid, although his arrival there became quite an adventure. The ship that was going to take him across the Channel was delayed by bad weather and the young man was discovered hiding in the hold when the vessel was searched by the authorities, who always kept an eye open for young Catholics travelling overseas. He was taken to London for interrogation but eventually managed to escape.

Garnet’s life was marked by several periods of imprisonment. As a priest, he worked for a time in Warwickshire but was arrested at the time of the Gunpowder Plot, partly in the hope that he would give information concerning his uncle, Henry Garnet, who was eventually executed for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy. St Thomas Garnet was kept at the Tower in close confinement for the best part of a year and the fact that he had to lie on the bare floor during the winter led to the development of rheumatism. However, he was released in July 1606 and banished to the continent on pain of death. In Flanders he entered the Jesuit novitiate and returned to England the following year. After only six weeks of ministry, he was betrayed by an apostate priest called Rouse and arrested. He was found guilty of being a Catholic priest and remaining in England illegally – the main evidence for his Priesthood being a piece of graffiti he had supposedly added to the walls of his prison cell, reading: Thomas Garnet, Priest. He was quickly sentenced to death but professed that he was the happiest man alive and, when someone suggested that he might have an opportunity to escape, he spoke of an interior voice that said quite clearly: Noli fugere, Don’t run away. And so St Thomas Garnet was put to death at Tyburn on 23rd June 1608, aged 34.

Noli fugere, Don’t run away! We often think of the English Martyrs – in fact, of most saints – as flawless heroes who never wavered in their faith and in their actions. They were heroes most certainly but a large part of their heroism was the way that grace triumphed despite our frail human nature. The temptation to run away, to escape the terrible death of hanging, drawing and quartering would have been a natural human reaction for Garnet and the other martyrs. So too would be the temptation to reach a compromise or accept the offers that were normally made promising clemency and even preferment in return for conformity in matters of faith. The martyrs probably lay awake in their prisons at night struggling with these temptations and fears. But the English Martyrs realised that God’s truth was more important than their personal well-being and safety. They lived and died according to the words of our Gospel: ‘do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul: fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell.’ The martyrs were prepared to go through great bodily suffering if it meant the preservation of the spirit.

Noli fugere, Don’t run away! Garnet’s words echo down to us 400 years later. It’s unlikely that we’ll win a martyrs crown in the same way as him but we do face the lesser martyrdom of facing indifference, secularism, relativism and ridicule. The Christian Life involves following Our Lord and even being hated in His Name. Practising as a Catholic in the twenty-first century involves the same struggle with the temptation to compromise and conform as it did in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today we ask St Thomas Garnet and all the English Martyrs for their intercession: that we will be steadfast in our Faith and not compromise our principles even (and especially) when they are unpopular; to stand by the Rock of Peter and not be swept up by stormy waters; to realise that the only thing to be feared is losing God – for whoever loses Him loses everything; to carry the cross of Christ and not be tempted by an easier life. Let the words of St Thomas Garnet resound in our hearts today: Noli fugere, Don’t run away!

St Thomas' Inspiration?

2008-06-11T15:13:00.002+01:00

During my lunchbreak at the archives today I found a wonderful new food store and, feeling rather adventurous, bought some Dandelion and Burdock, a traditional British soft drink, for my lunch. According to Wikipedia, this drink (despite its reputed 'British-ness') is linked to a rather interesting legend:

St Thomas Aquinas, after praying for inspiration for a full night, walked from his place of prayer straight into the countryside and, "trusting in God to provide", concocted the drink from the first plants he encountered. It was this drink that aided his concentration when seeking to formulate his theological arguments that ultimately culminated in the Summa Theologica.

So if this blog suddenly becomes a work of theological genius, you'll know why...

A Catholic Priest on Jim'll Fix It

2008-06-05T14:10:00.003+01:00

I haven't posted for some time and the easy way to remedy this is to post a charming video that I found completely accidentally on You Tube:

As a child I remember watching Jim'll Fix It, in which Jimmy Savile tried to fulfil the ambitions of viewers. Sir Jimmy is a devout Catholic, as you can see from the 'K.C.S.G.' that appears after his name in the end credits. If you don't want to listen to the pipes, forward to 4:39 and see the 'indulgenced' Jim'll Fix It medal. It's also amazing how dated this 1984 footage now seems - a lost world?

I've been thinking about bagpipes recently since a piper occasionally uses our hall for rehearsals. As a teenager I took bagpipe lessons and I still have a set, though I haven't touched them since piping in the Scots College when they attended a festal dinner at the Venerable English College, Rome in 2001. But they might come in useful in the parish for weddings, funerals and the New Year...

I Am 5

2008-05-24T09:25:00.003+01:00

Today I celebrate my fifth birthday as a priest - a mere drop in the ocean compared to the 77 years of Canon Fuller (who I visited on Monday) but still a personal landmark, especially since it means graduating from the diocesan 'Under 5s' meetings for priests!

It is the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, and I'll be celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving later this morning. This evening the Young Adults group are coming for a small drinks party, so hopefully the good weather will last before the Bank Holiday downpour.

Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur!

Joys and Sorrows

2008-05-22T15:58:00.005+01:00

Often a day in the life of a parish presents you with extreme highs and lows. Today has been one such day. Early this morning I celebrated a Funeral for a 28 week year-old baby who died in her mother's womb after several months of struggle. It was the first time in my five years of Priesthood that I have been asked to do this and the grief of the occasion was very tangible. It was also very moving to remind people that, despite the age of the baby and the tiny size of the coffin, this was a human person, just as precious in the eyes of God as any of us - it was doubly appropriate to do this after the anti-life legislation passed this week by Parliament. Please say a prayer for little Cristiana and her parents.

Then, on returning from Enfield Cemetery, it was time to mark the traditional Feast of Corpus Christi at our Primary School with a procession and benediction. We started in the playground, where an altar had been set up, and processed to the school hall, singing hymns. We were led there by our First Communion candidates, who wore their suits and dress - some of them scattered petals.

In the hall, we listened to a powerful sermon from Fr Albert, the Nigerian chaplain - seen here carrying the frame for the canopy to the school:

Then it was time for Benediction. This didn't quite go to plan because when I turned round to beckon the pupil who was holding the boat, I discovered that he had just vomitted all over it - so no incensation was possible during the Tantum ergo! Still, as one of the other priests pointed out, it made the occasion even more 'incarnational'!!!

A Priest for 77 Years

2008-05-21T16:23:00.000+01:00

On Monday I visited Canon Reginald C. Fuller to look at some of his personal papers, which he is giving to the diocesan archive. It was a privilege to meet him for, remarkaby, he was ordained by Francis Cardinal Bourne in 1931, studied in Mussolini's Rome and remembers meeting Pius XI. He has been a priest for 77 years - and still counting. He was a noted Biblical scholar in his day (not to be confused with the late Reginald H. Fuller, a Protestant Biblicist) and co-edited the RSV version. Canon Fuller turns 100 this September, so hopefully there will be a huge party at Nazareth House!

The Walsingham Project

2008-05-20T16:33:00.000+01:00

Raymond de Sousa (of EWTN-fame) has sent me some info regarding the 'Walsingham Project,' which I hadn't heard of before but which is organising a Prayer Crusade for the Conversion of England in the face of De-Christianization. This stands in continuity with the Crusade of Prayer for the Conversion of England started by the Passionist, Ven. Ignatius Spencer, nearly 170 years ago.

They have also issued a new edition of Henry VIII's Defence of the Seven Sacraments, written in his younger days with the help of St Thomas More, which earned him the title 'Defender of thre Faith.' You can buy it here.

The 'Walsingham Project' deserves to be supported. For further information, check out Raymond's website.

A Sea Symphony

2008-05-10T21:34:00.005+01:00

It's been a noisy evening - as I sit at my desk I can hear both the Irish singer crooning away in the parish club and the Nigerians making their novena for Pentecost (there's a lot of 'congregational participation' at the moment and this is upsetting the presbytery dogs) - and, to top it all, I've just returned from a performance of Vaughan-Williams' Sea Symphony by the Hackney Singers (of which a parishioner is a member).

They did an excellent job, as did the Essex-based Forest Philharmonic Orchestra (which is of professional quality). I had a good view of the triangle-player, who was kept surprisingly busy during the 70 minute piece. Call me a cultural philistine but I'm not really into the big choral set pieces of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, although the texts used by the choir certainly contained a searching meditation on the journey through life, which are just like the storms and calm of the sea.

The concert was held at the huge 1790s church of St John-at-Hackney - built for a congregation of 2,000 but now attracting a congregation of 60 or 70 (judging from the newsletter). It replaced the medieval church (only the sixteenth century tower remains), which has always fascinated me because the nephew of John XXII, Cardinal Gauscelin Jean d'Euse, held amongst many other posts that of Rector of Hackney (1328-34) - a rather unexpected link between Hackney and papal Avignon!

In the parish newsletter there was an interesting review of a book written by a more recent Rector, describing his experiences as 'an inner city parson.' Although described as a Christian agnostic (!), the reverend author did make a good point about the Anglican clergy that is just as valid for Catholics - as the reviewer put it, 'clergy are expected now to be not so much ministers as managers of the local branches of a national chauin store, with "delivery strategies" and targets, except without the staff to order around...John [the author] deplores what he sees to be a Church of England culture "intolerant of the idiosyncratic...the bland leading the bland."'

Moreover, 'he was proud to say he belonged to a passing generation of clergy taught that mornings should be spent in your study. Books are always more important than meetings.' Hmmm, that's rather commendable.

So, the words of the 'Sea Symphony' and this rather eccentric article in an Anglican parish newsletter provided me with food for thought; appropriate since on Monday I go on my annual retreat...

Thoughts for Ascensiontide

2008-05-04T09:51:00.004+01:00

The Ascension is the grand finale, when Jesus, having completed His mission of salvation, returns to the Father in Heaven. The problem is that it is very hard to imagine the circumstances of the Ascension. It is easy enough to imagine the manner of Christ’s coming into the world – His birth in the stable of Bethlehem and the adoration of the angels, shepherds and wise men – but the manner of His departure fills us with many questions.

Most paintings show the Ascending Christ being propelled up towards Heaven, rather like a rocket lifting off into space. In some churches in the past today’s Feast saw the elaborate ascension of a statue of the Risen Christ right up into the roof of the church, and sometimes a parallel descent into the ground of a figure of the devil. But we shouldn’t imagine the Lord hurtling through the stratosphere or start wondering how many light years it took Him to reach Heaven! When we talk of ‘Ascension’ we are using human language where human language doesn’t really apply. Indeed the Gospels speak of the Lord’s disappearing beneath a cloud, which in the Bible is always a sign of the mystery and majesty of God. For thirty-three years the Word was made flesh, the invisible God made visible. Now He becomes invisible once again in the cloud and God’s definitive Revelation has ended.

There is a pious tradition that the Ascension of the Lord took place at midday. The symbolism behind this is very powerful. After all, He is thought to have been born at midnight, at an hour when the world covered in darkness – for Jesus came into a world darkened by sin and showed us the way back to the Light. He ascended at midday, the hour when the sun is at its strongest – for Jesus, the ‘Sun of Justice,’ has now conquered death and given us new life.

And yet His light does not disappear with the Ascension; the disciples are not suddenly shrouded in darkness. No, Christ has given His light to the Church, to His followers, until He comes again. The Ascension passes Christ’s mission on to us: ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations,’ we hear in St Matthew’s Gospel, ‘baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ We are to become His hands and feet, His eyes and ears, His lips and tongue, and we are assured of His abiding presence with us, to the end of time. Christ is with us in the words of Scripture and in the teachings and guidance of the Church; Christ is with us most particularly in the Blessed Sacrament that we find in every church; Christ is with us in our brothers and sisters and especially in those who are most vulnerable – the unborn, the sick and the needy; Christ is with us in ourselves, thanks to our Baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit, and in the everyday situations that challenge us to put our faith into action.

The Ascension, then, is not a feast of God’s absence but a feast of God’s presence. Alleluia!

Monastery Crawl

2008-05-01T20:13:00.009+01:00

Earlier this week I popped over to Downside Abbey in Somerset to collect a monastic archive (as you do). A parishioner kindly agreed to provide transport and, as there was room, Cally's Kitchen also joined us. Here is the boot of the car groaning with dusty documents concerning the English Augustinian Canonesses of Paris:

En route we drove through Woolhampton (on the other side of Reading) so we made the short detour to Douai Abbey, another house of the English Benedictine Congregation. Like Downside, the Abbot there is one of our leading Catholic historians. The exterior is rather unusual, due to the modern extension:

However, I think the interior works rather well - lots of space and light:

In the monastic cemetery we paid our respects at the grave of Dom Basil Griffin, twin brother of Cardinal Bernard Griffin, sixth Archbishop of Westminster (1943-56):

Of course, arriving at Downside we were able to visit the tomb of another brother of a Cardinal - Dom Jerome Vaughan, who effectively founded Fort Augustus Abbey up in Scotland, though he later had to leave the community. He was one of the many clerical or monastic siblings of Cardinal Herbert Vaughan.

This Week

2008-04-25T17:04:00.008+01:00

It's been quite a week.

On Tuesday I was in Kendal (on the edge of the Lake District, one of England's most beautiful regions) to conduct my aunt's funeral - the first family function of this type that I've done as a priest. Since my father was unable to make the journey due to poor health, I was also the 'chief mourner.' I was greatly helped by two permanent deacons, who wore dalmatics and were very competent on the sanctuary. The Mass was followed by burial at Kendal Cemetery, at the foot of the old castle where the last wife of Henry VIII, Katherine Parr, is said to have been born. I then had the chance to revisit my aunt's house, perhaps for the final time.

Without boring you, this was the site of perhaps the happiest of my childhood memories since my grandparents once lived there. It was a magical place to visit as a child and the imagination really ran wild in the large garden and field behind the house, all against the backdrop of the Westmorland hills. I particularly remember walking up the field with my grandfather, who used to speak about his experiences at the Battle of the Somme. We would stand under this tree (see below), with three large rocks, which (he said) had once been used by the local Viking leaders for their council meetings. I suspect I might be rather disillusioned if I looked for historical evidence for this!

On a happier note, last night I went to the London Oratory to speak to their hugely successful young adults group - at least a hundred people, mostly young professionals, packed into St Wilfrid's Hall. My topic was the Spanish Inquisition - that old chestnut. One person made the very good point that we should stop being so defensive and apologetic about it (the natural reaction to the familiar 'Black Legend'); instead we should celebrate the positive contributions it made to Europe, especially in the field of legal procedure. Such was the care taken in following the strict procedures, that if you were innocent you had a better chance in an Inquisition court of being cleared than you would in the secular equivalent. The basic points I made can be found here.

The Pope in America

2008-04-20T09:06:00.004+01:00

I've been enjoying Pope Benedict's Apostolic Visit to the United States, courtesy of EWTN, and I'm sure the warm reception he has received everywhere will do much to strengthen him in his Petrine Ministry. I must confess that I've found some of the liturgies to be rather long-winded and the music at times brash and over-the-top - indeed, I even thought (to my surprise) that some of the musical performances at last night's Youth Rally were more satisfying than those during the Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral!

One of the highlights for me was the Holy Father's rich address to the young people in New York yesterday, which contained much more than the widely reported critique of his youth in Nazi Germany. Here are my favourite passages:

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth’s place or better said its absence an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a freedom which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others.

* * *

Your personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation, and your participation in the Church’s liturgy, bring you closer to God and also prepare you to serve others. The saints accompanying us this evening show us that the life of faith and hope is also a life of charity. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move. The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice? Many of the examples of the suffering which our saints responded to with compassion are still found here in this city and beyond. And new injustices have arisen: some are complex and stem from the exploitation of the heart and manipulation of the mind; even our common habitat, the earth itself, groans under the weight of consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation. We must listen deeply. We must respond with a renewed social action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds. In this way, we ensure that our works of mercy and justice become hope in action for others.

* * *

[To the seminarians] The People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers. I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism, or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons. Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others.

* * *

The Martyr of Greenwich

2008-04-19T18:04:00.003+01:00

Today is the Memoria, in our diocesan calendar, of St Alphege – a very popular saint and national hero of a thousand years ago. He started life as a monk in Gloucestershire and Somerset, but despite trying to live a solitary life his talents were soon recognised and he was brought out into the public spotlight: he successively became Abbot of Bath, Bishop of Winchester and (in 1005) Archbishop of Canterbury.

It was not an easy time to be a Christian leader because of the on-going threat of the pagan Danes, better known to us as the Vikings, with their horned helmets and frequent raids on England. In 1011 they captured Canterbury and Archbishop Alphege was taken prisoner and ransomed for the princely sum of £3,000. He was taken towards London and eventually murdered at Greenwich, since he infuriated the Danes by not letting money be collected for his ransom. According to tradition, the saint was killed during a banquet - the Danes threw bones at him from their table and then one of them struck him on the head with an axe. He was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral, where his shrine was visited by many pilgrims, before being moved to Canterbury in 1023. St Thomas Becket prayed to St Alphege just before his own martyrdom in Canterbury Cathedral.

Even if St Alphege cannot be said to have explicitly died for the Faith, St Anselm said that, like St John the Baptist, he was a martyr for justice and truth. And so today we pray that through the intercession of St Alphege, we too will bear witness to the truth this coming week and pursue justice in all our undertakings, without compromising our principles in the face of opposition.

St Alphege, pray for us!

Old St Pancras

2008-04-17T21:20:00.012+01:00

I was meeting a friend at London's St Pancras International recently and, since I had some time to kill, walked up the road to Old St Pancras church, just behind the station (not a place to linger in after dark!). For some unaccountable reason, I had never been there before, and yet it claims to be one of the oldest Christian sites in the country. Indeed, the sign boldly claims that the church has been 'a site of prayer and meditation since 314 AD.'

There is no hard evidence for the claim, but it is an impressive one to make - the dedication of St Pancras is certainly a very ancient one and may have originated with the mission of St Augustine of Canterbury, who promoted the cults of Roman saints as part of his evangelization of the south-east. In the nineteenth century what was thought to be a sixth century altar stone was found - and immediately dubbed 'St Augustine's Altar'! Some think that the site of the church was a pagan shrine that was converted to Christian use in Roman times, long before St Augustine (and 314, just after the conversion of Constantine, seems a convenient date).

The interior of the (Anglican) church is pleasant enough, with a few old monuments (including that of the minaturist, Samuel Cooper), an exposed bit of Norman wall (on the extreme left of the photo below) and a shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham (out of view). One feels a million miles away from the bustling station nearby!

The most interesting dimension of Old St Pancras is the graveyard, which was once favoured by the Catholic community due to its ancient origins and the tradition that the church was one of the last where Mass was said publicly at the Reformation (the Elizabethan incumbent, a Marian priest, seems to have celebrated Mass in Latin well into the second half of the sixteenth century and was tolerated by the authorities). Several of the Vicars Apostolic were buried in the churchyard, including Bonaventure Giffard, and many of the French refugees during the Revolution (including Archbishop Dillon, whose porcelain false teeth were recently found). Other famous burials include J. C. Bach and Sir John Soane. Next time you're at King's Cross or St Pancras, it's worth popping down Midland Rd (the road in between St Pancras and the British Library) and visiting this site, sanctified by centuries of Catholic associations.

Venetian Relics II: Dragon Bones?

2008-04-14T00:38:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday Fr Whinder and I spent a wonderful day on the Venetian island of Murano, famous for its glass-making and also several fine churches. One of them, Santi Maria e Donato, was founded in the seventh century and rebuilt in the twelfth, in order to accomodate the relics of St Donatus, which the Doge had brought back with him from Cephalonia in 1125. You can see the saint's shrine above the High Altar in the picture. Along with St Donatus' body, the Doge brought back the bones of the dragon that he reputedly killed by spitting at it. These are displayed behind the High Altar:

There can't be many churches that claim the actual bones of a fabulous beast; I wonder if any scientific tests have been conducted on them! Sadly most visitors ignore them and concentrate on the mosaics on the floor and apse.

Afterwards, we had a fantastic meal at the nearby Ai Frari (above), where I fell in love with tagliolini (long pasta) with stewed cuttlefish, cooked in cuttlefish ink. Sounds ghastly but it was delicious!

Venetian Relics I: Double Decker Saints

2008-04-13T11:07:00.005+01:00

This is one of my favourite Venetian churches: San Zaccaria, not too far from St Mark's Square. The Benedictine convent that was once attached to the church was the oldest and richest in the city (until its suppression in 1810). Such was the convent's prestige that the Doge solemnly processed to the church every Easter - indeed, it was said that one Abbess, Agiostina Morosini, had been the first to present the doge with his distinctive hat, the cornu. I like the detail that the procession always avoided the Riva degli Schiavoni, since one Doge (Pietro Tradonico) had been assassinated here in 837, so they came instead by the Via SS Filippo e Giacomo.

The church contains one of the most bizarre shrines that I've seen - a side altar on the epistle side aisle, which contains the bodies of two major saints, arranged as a sort of 'double-decker.' On the bottom is St Zechariah, the father of St John the Baptist and patron of the church. On top is St Athanasius, Doctor of the Church - with no obvious connection to his saintly neighbour, beyond the fact that he was a great theologian of the Incarnation. It seems strange that these major relics were just put in a side aisle, not even in a chapel of their own! I'm not sure of the provenance of the relics - possibly St Zechariah was pinched from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. The Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo also claims the body of St Athanasius...

Venice

2008-04-12T17:16:00.007+01:00

It was wonderful, as always, to be in Venice. However, as you can see in the above picture, the weather was decidedly overcast and rainy. Moreover, because of the poor exchange rates, Europe is becoming more expensive (1.2 euros to the pound - I remember the good old days when it was nearer 2 euros to the pound) - however, I doubt I'll get much sympathy from American readers!

There was a brief spell of sun on Monday, which allowed me to take the above shot of the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio, with a rather charming shrine in the foreground (a statue of Our Lady in the green 'canopy').

One of the great ways to enter Venice is by train, since the moment you leave the station you're on the Grand Canal. Above you can see a photo of the first church you see on arriving: San Simeone Piccolo, showing the rather unfortunate custom of using scaffolding around churches for advertising. A closer look at the board revealed the kind of activities that take place within San Simeone, thanks to the Fraternity of St Peter:

Perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the model in the advert to wear a mantilla?

2008-04-12T17:09:00.004+01:00

I've just returned from holiday, so was unable to note that Tuesday was the second birthday of this blog. I'm surprised that the readership for Roman Miscellany still numbers between 200 and 300 a day, especially since my posts are less regular - however, I will try to post something at least once a week or whenever my creative juices are flowing!

Say a prayer, please, for my aunt, Anne Schofield, who died this afternoon aged 87. RIP.

Off to La Serenissima

2008-04-06T17:06:00.007+01:00

Tomorrow morning I fly off to Venice for three nights - though I'm not sure what sort of weather to expect on the lagoon. Fortunately I know Venice quite well so I'll be able to spend my time wandering along the canals, re-visiting some favourite churches and hunting for that most elusive of Venetian institutions - a good quality AND reasonably-priced ristorante.

I've been asked to draw people's attention to the new CIEL UK website, with info about their forthcoming High Mass and conference at the London Oratory on 31 May. The Mass is followed by an address by Dr Alcuin Reid on Benedict XVI's liturgical reforms.

Parish Life 200 Years Ago

2008-03-29T11:32:00.012Z

Some of you will know Catholic London A Century Ago, first published in 1905 by Bernard Ward (later first bishop of Brentwood). There are some fascinating details about English Catholic life two hundred years ago, in the aftermath of the Catholic Relief Acts of 1778 and 1791:

Catholic churches looked very different from the ones built later in the nineteenth century - no side altars, minimal decoration and divisions in the church seating for the different classes of person. The best seats cost a shilling or sixpence and could be found in the 'Tribune' or the 'Enclosure' immediately in front of the sanctuary. You can see such privileged positions in the picture above of the old Sardinian Chapel (the ancestor of SS Anselm and Cecilia, Kingsway). The poorer members stood behind in the 'Body of the Church' and this section often had its own communion rail. I wonder if this is one reason why so many Catholics instinctively tend to sit at the back of the church?!

Apparently, 'the subdeacon of the [High] Mass was usually the preacher, but before the sermon he would disappear into the sacristy to take off his tunicle and come out to preach in cotta and stole.'

Confessionals were rare. Ward writes that 'there are those still alive who have described the scene on a Saturday evening, when the line of penitents were kneeling all up the stairs of the priest's house, taking their turns for admissions to his room.'
There is a wonderful description of Tenebrae that has come down to us thanks to Thomas Doyle, later Provost of Southwark. He wrote (and it is quoted by Ward): 'Dr Bramston used to describe with much effect the Tenebrae in Castle Street, Holborn, where he, a limb of the law [before ordination], and Charles Butler, another limb, and the Rev. Mr Lindow, and Bishop Douglass, met in the “Episcopal palace” in an upper chamber, at the fourth house on the right hand – and a dirty, dingy, shabby-genteel house it was – for the purpose of reciting the Divine Office. They met and separated, too thankful that even that much was done, and hoped for better days.’ Many churches followed the French custom of decorating the 'Easter sepulchre' with empty chalices and other church plate.

Priests no longer wore wigs in the nineteenth century but tended to powder their hair - the first to discard the custom of powdering before singing Mass was Dr Weathers, later Auxiliary to Cardinal Manning (ordained priest 1838). When whiskers became fashionable, priests sported what was called the 'clerical inch' so as not to draw attention to themselves. Interestingly, the first priest in England to wear black clothing (rather than brown or other sober colours) was Joseph Berington, considered by many of his contemporaries as an 'arch-liberal' and Cisalpine - his writings shared many of the proposals of the 1786 Synod of Pistoia (eg Mass in the vernacular, greater democracy in the Church, etc).

Ward writes: 'A custom of administering wine from the chalice to children with whooping-cough lasted on till my own time - it was administered to myself under these circumstances - but I have never heard of its being done in recent years.' He adds in a footnote that he had heard 'that there are one or two parishes in London in which the practice still obtains' at the time of writing (1905). I assume the wine was unconsecrated. Does anyone know anything more about this strange practice?

The Legend of Borley

2008-03-28T00:09:00.002Z

An atmospheric English churchyard an hour or so before sunset, complete with clipped yew trees and locked church. Just the sort of place where you might imagine strange goings-on.

As I was touring the Essex/Suffolk border on Tuesday, I noticed a sign to Borley. This tiny village had been a cause celebre in the 1930s, when Borley Rectory (which has since burnt down) was named 'the most haunted house in England.' Many suspect the whole affair was faked but the myth of Borley continues and there is talk of a film being made.

The central figure in the story is that of a phantom nun who could often be seen walking across the rectory garden - indeed, the Victorian Rector, Henry Bull, even built a summer house so that he could sit and watch her pass by.

There were two theories as to her identity. One was that she belonged to a nunnery that had stood on the site before the Reformation (though there is no evidence for this), had fallen in love with a local monk and was consequently - you can guess what is coming - walled-up alive. Of course, such punishments simply did not exist, even in the 'barbaric' Middle Ages. The Jesuit scholar Fr Herbert Thurston showed a century ago how tales of walled-up nuns were a confusion with anchorites who had voluntarily immured themselves in order to live a life of prayer and penance. It is interesting, incidentally, how many seemingly quaint ghost stories have anti-Catholic streaks concerning monks and nuns who meet a sticky end.

The other version of events is more credible. The nun, Sr Maria Laire, had belonged to a convent in or near Le Havre (perhaps one of the many English foundations in what is now Belgium and northern France) but had left in order to marry a member of the Waldegrave family in Borley. This family was Catholic and Mass was often said at their home in penal times. The story goes that the relationship did not work out and that the exclaustrated nun was murdered. A hundred years ago a skeleton was found in the grounds of the Rectory, along with a medal of St Ignatius, which was thought to be that of the poor girl.

I remembered reading about all this years ago, so I was glad to have seen the village. However, we shouldn't be too curious about such stories and can content ourselves by trusting in the Lord and praying for any Holy Souls who need our suffrage. I certainly didn't see anything strange during my five-minute stop at Borley, beyond my travelling companion (a young priest from Southwark) suddenly leaping out at me from behind one of the clipped yews...

Dissolution

2008-03-27T14:15:00.011Z

These ruins were once one of the largest churches in medieval Europe - the Abbey at Bury St Edmund's in Suffolk. The tower in the background, which belongs to the Anglican Cathedral, was only completed a few years ago. The first monastic community here was founded in 633 and it had grown in fame and wealth after the translation in 903 of the relics of St Edmund of East Anglia, King and Martyr:

He had been killed by the Danes (869) - captured, shot by arrows and then decapitated, his head later being found by a friendly wolf - and his shrine became one of the great spiritual treasures of England. It is hard to imagine what the great Abbey looked like, though some idea of the magnificence can be gained from this surviving gatehouse:

'Bare ruin'd quires' have been very much on my mind these last few days. Not only did I visit St Edmundsbury on Tuesday but this morning there was a very interesting Radio 4 programme on the Dissolution, with some of our leading historians - you can listen to it over the next week here. You may not agree with everything that is said, but it gives an insight into the cunning tactics of Henry VIII.

Then, the post brought me an Amazon packet containing Geoffrey Moorhouse's new book, The Last Office: 1539 and the Dissolution of a Monastery. It studies the Benedictine community at Durham and looks not only at monastic life on the eve of the Reformation and the process of Dissolution but also what happened to the monks afterwards.

Good Friday - and the 400th Anniversary of a Martyrdom

2008-03-21T00:04:00.002Z

Just returned from today's Solemn Liturgy, followed by some time in the confessional. Switching on EWTN I was pleased to be able to watch some of the action from St Peter's and also to see that the three chasubles we wore here in Hackney were not dissimilar to that worn by the Holy Father (see pictures above, courtesy of NLM)!

On Good Friday we commemorate the death of Our Lord and we pray for the strength to carry our own crosses, whatever they might be. Today, as it happens, is the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Matthew Flathers, who had a very obvious share in Good Friday.

A Yorkshire man by birth, he was educated at Douai and ordained at Arras in 1606. Soon afterwards he returned to the English Mission and was arrested almost immediately, in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot.He was banished but managed to return to Yorkshire and, after his second capture, condemned to death 'for his priestly character.' He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Micklegate, York on 21 March 1608.

According to Bishop Challoner, 'he was butchered in a most barbarous manner; for he was no sooner turned off the ladder [to hang], but immediately cut down; and rising upon his feet, attempted to walk, as if half stunned; but one of the Sheriff's men quickly stopt his journey, by giving him a desperate cut on the head with his halberd; another violently flung him down, and held him fast while the executioner ripped up his breast, pulled out his heart, and so completed the butchery.'

Blessed Matthew Flathers, pray for us!

Maundy Thursday

2008-03-20T21:57:00.003Z

I've just celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper. There were about 500 present and much excitement was caused amongst the servers when they thought they spotted a member of the Kaiser Chiefs in the congregation (they are an indie rock band and I see from wikipedia that three of them attended a Catholic school in Leeds, so I suppose the sighting is credible).

Although there have been many preparations to make these last few days, it hasn't really 'felt' like Holy Week, perhaps because of the early date of Easter and the unusually cold weather (we're half-expecting a white Easter, even down in the south-east). However, now that the first of the ceremonies is over, there is a sense of the grreat drama of our salvation unfolding. The thing I love about these days as a priest is that all the bureaucracy, meetings and 'other responsibilities' (like, for me, the archive) take a secondary place and we can concentrate on what is truly important, the unum necessarium. This is helped by the ceremonies, with their changing themes and moods - I especially love the sudden change tonight from the splendour of the Mass and procession to the Altar of Repose to the starkness and severity of the stripping of the altars, as we prepare for Good Friday.

Talking of drama, I was very sorry to hear of the death of my namesake, Paul Scofield (though he spelt his surname without an 'h'), the great actor who so memorably played St Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1966). May he rest in peace and may St Thomas intercede for him.

A Link in a Chain

2008-03-11T22:26:00.005Z

This morning I gave an 'input' at a Day of Recollection for the Westminster Sick and Retired Clergy. There were 18 present, including two nonagenarians and a smattering of monsignori. I was very aware that there were several centuries-worth of priestly experience in the room while I could only claim 5 years!

My theme was the history of the diocese and the fact that we are links in the great chain of faith, acting as a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow. I wanted to pay tribute to the many extraordinary priests who had a key role in the growth of the Church in London (just as much as the bishops!) and who are now largely forgotten. There are Victorian missionaries like Fr Henry Hardy, who single-handedly founded five parishes in Hertfordshire, or Fr George Bampfield, whose Institute of St Andrew (based at Barnet) established many rural missions. There are writers and novelists like Ronald Knox, Robert Hugh Benson and Owen Francis Dudley, and the many pioneer priests from Ireland. One could even mention the two priests of the diocese who died on the Titanic and the Lusitania - Fr Thomas Byles and Fr Basil Maturin.

I was keen also to encourage the priests to record their memories and to look at the personal papers and photos that they may possess. Dioceses are not like religious Orders - there can be little sense of continuity in parishes and old papers often end up in the dustbin. Indeed, priests so often live solely in the present moment and it can be hard to look beyond the current page of the diary! Yet I'm increasingly aware if that if something isn't done about it soon, much anecdotal evidence from the pre-conciliar years will soon disappear.

Another English Grand Master!

2008-03-11T16:59:00.004Z

Good news from the Order of Malta today:

Frà Matthew Festing, 59, an Englishman, becomes the 79th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, elected this morning by the Council Complete of State (the Order’s electoral body). In accepting the role, the new Grand Master swore his Oath before the Cardinal Patronus of the Order, Cardinal Pio Laghi, and the electoral body. He succeeds Fra’Andrew Bertie, 78th Grand Master (1988-2008), who died on 7 February.

The new Grand Master affirms his resolve to continue the great work carried out by his predecessor. Fra’ Matthew comes with a wide range of experience in Order affairs. He has been the Grand Prior of England since the Priory’s re-establishment in 1993, restored after an abeyance of 450 years. In this capacity, he has led missions of humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Kosovo after the recent disturbances in those countries, and with a large delegation from Britain he attends the Order’s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes with handicapped pilgrims.
Educated at Ampleforth and Trinity College Cambridge, where he read history, Frà Matthew, an art expert, has for most of his professional life worked at an international art auction house. As a child he lived in Malta and Singapore, where his father, Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing, Chief of the Defence Staff, had earlier postings. His mother was a member of the recusant Riddells of Swinburne Castle who suffered for their faith in penal times. He is also descended from Sir Adrian Fortescue, a knight of Malta, who was martyred in 1539.
Frà Matthew served in the Grenadier Guards and holds the rank of colonel in the Territorial Army. He was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen and has served as her Deputy Lieutenant in the county of Northumberland for a number of years.

In 1977 Frà Matthew became a member of the Order of Malta, taking solemn religious vows in 1991. As well as his passion for the decorative arts and for history, for which his encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of the Order is legendary, as is his very British sense of humour, Frà Matthew spends any free time possible in his beloved Northumberland countryside.

Displaced Feasts

2008-03-09T10:56:00.006Z

This year's early Holy Week has caused considerable confusion due to the displacing of some popular feasts. In this diocese, the Solemnity of St Joseph is transferred to Saturday but, strictly speaking, St Patrick's Day (falling on Holy Monday) is not transferable since it is not a Solemnity in this country. However, I think many parishes will be organising some sort of commemoration at the end of the week for 'pastoral reasons.'

Today we remember St Frances of Rome (above), although she is obviously displaced by the Sunday. This is a pity because I rather like her and fondly remember taking the morning off lectures in Rome so that I could pay my respects to the saint at the Tor de'Specchi convent. I wrote a little about her last year, in case you're interested - Santa Francesca Romana.

Goodbye to the World

2008-03-05T22:53:00.006Z

I've just had an extraordinary evening. A member of the parish's young adults group is entering an enclosed Benedictine monastery on Friday. So, tonight a group of us went to a local Indian to bid her farewell. I'm not sure how to refer to such a gathering - not quite a Hen Night but certainly a closing of a chapter in her life! Yet, although the parting of friends is not easy, I think her heart is already in the convent and she is visibly excited about becoming a postulant.

She is the second religious vocation from the parish this year - another girl has just joined the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. Please remember them in your prayers, together with all young people discerning their vocation.

Leeks and St David

2008-03-01T09:10:00.003Z

St David's life got off to an unpromising start when he was born on top of a cliff during a violent storm. However, since he came from a wealthy (possibly royal) background he was given a good education, thanks to St Paulinus, and eventually became a monk and bishop. He travelled around Wales, Cornwall and Brittany - which formed part of a sort of 'Celtic alliance' that was culturally and politically separate from Saxon England; these regions share many saints. St David founded churches and monasteries, including what is now the Cathedral of St David in Pembrokeshire.

He was involved in the struggle against Pelagianism (a heresy that originated in Britain) and, on one occasion as he was preaching against it during a Synod, the ground rose under him and lifted him up so that all could see and hear him. A dove also rested on his shoulder, a sure sign of God's favour.

But, you may ask, why the association with leeks (sometimes substituted by the more attrractive-looking daffodil)? After all, there are not many saints who are associated with vegetables. There are different theories. Some say that St David got Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their helmets to distinguish them from the pagan Saxons in battle and that this was regarded as a sign of God's protection - though this could be a later tradition (perhaps associated with the battle of Agincourt, 1415) that was back-dated to the time of St David.

More plausible is the fact that St David lived an austere life, following a diet of water, herbs and vegetables - including the leek. He was known as the 'man of water,' for he drank nothing else and sometimes stood in a freezing cold lake, with water up to his neck, saying his prayers. A strict life that enabled him to reach the age of 147!

So the leek calls to mind the saint's austerities - including his vegetarianism long before it became fashionable - and so is appropriate food for thought as we approach the fourth Sunday of Lent.

St David, pray for us!

Leap year Saints

2008-02-29T09:45:00.004Z

The 2004 Roman Martyrology lists four saints for today, who are thus only commemorated once every four years (although for other years there is an option to celebrate them on 28 February):

Pope St Hilary/Hilarus (reigned 461-68), successor to St Leo the Great, who continued the fight against Arianism, made important decisions about the Church in Spain and Gaul, and added three chapels to the baptistery at the Lateran. He is buried at S Lorenzo fuori le Mura (not too far from Blessed Pius IX).
St Oswald (d.992), Benedictine of Fleury and Archbishop of York, who is said to have died while washing the feet of the poor (his daily Lenten practice).
Blessed Antonia of Florence (d.1472), a mother and widow who became a Poor Clare at Aquila, Italy. She was a disciple of St John Capistran.
St Augustine Chapdelaine (1814-54), priest of the Society of the Foreign Missions, Paris, martyred in Guangxi, China.

Let's especially pray to them on their feast.

Forgotten Shepherds

2008-02-28T09:56:00.008Z

At the moment I'm studying (in spare moments) the Vicars Apostolic who governed the Church in England and Wales between 1685 and 1850. From 1688 there were four Districts (London, Midlands, Western and Northern) and these were increased to eight by Gregory XVI in 1840. It's a fascinating story but also one that is not generally known. Most people have heard of Bishop Challoner, and possibly of Bishops Giffard, Baines and Milner (called by Newman 'the English Athanasius') but these shepherds remain largely unknown and forgotten.

Their world was very different from that of Newman and Manning. The Vicars Apostolic lived discreetly, frequently changed their lodging, used aliases and travelled long distances on horseback. Many were buried without vestments or signs of their office, with their hands simply lying by their sides. There is a famous story about Bishop Hornyold, VA of the Midlands District (1756-78) finishing Mass just as the house was raided and saving himself 'by substituting a female cap for his flowing periwig and throwing a large woman’s cloak over his vestments, and in this disguise, throwing himself in a corner of the room into the attitude of prayer.'

Challoner was bishop in London for forty years but never once ordained a priest, for there were then no seminaries on English soil and priests were almost always ordained overseas. Douglass (VA of London, 1790-1812 - see picture above) was the first to openly wear a pectoral cross, though only in the privacy of his home and without wearing a cassock. His successor, Poynter (VA 1812-27), normally wore a brown suit and the Rev. Joseph Silveira used to recall the astonishment produced the first time the bishop walked from his room at St Edmund’s, Ware to the chapel in his episcopal cassock in 1817.

Despite their fragile position and limited resources, their jurisdiction was technically vast and included the colonies, though they never visited these distant lands and simply resolved disputes, granted faculties and (whenever they could) sent out priests. Sometimes the colonies proved to be a useful 'dumping ground' for troublesome priests. A striking example was William Simpson, who had held four appointments in the Northern District but ‘made havoc of every one of them’ and, after Bishop Giffard paid off his debts, squandered the money on women and married in an Anglican church. After imprisonment for debt, he seemed to be repentant and was commissioned by Giffard for work in the West Indies. He soon apostasised from the Faith and was presented to an Anglican living on Nevis, although he seems to have been reconciled to the Church at his death in September 1735.

Until 1784 the VA of the London District (Challoner) was in charge of the American colonies. By that time, of course, America had declared its independence but, as the bishop's biographer Burton notes, ‘this feeble old man [Challoner], living his retired life in an obscure London street’ exercised a jurisdiction that ‘remained the only remnant of authority in the hands of an Englishman that was still recognized in America.’

This period of English Catholic history is not only one of heroism but of great division and frequent 'pamphlet wars'. Long before the days of a Bishops' Conference (providing a certain 'unity'), there were fierce rivalries among some of the VAs. In the lead up to Catholic Emancipation, there were passionate arguments between 'Ultramontanes' and 'Cisalpines' over what being English and Catholic meant - to what extent did the Pope have authority over British institutions, for example, and could the Government veto the appointment of bishops? Some of the more liberal 'Cisalpines', like Rev. Joseph Berington, even called for ecumenical schools and a vernacular liturgy, so as to discourage anti-Catholic prejudice.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century there was conflict over a group of sedevacantists - the Blanchardists (mostly French emigre clergy) who did not recognise Pius VII's concordat with Napoleon. And there were on-going tensions that had been present for centuries, such as that between the secular and regular clergy. By the mid nineteenth century there was strife between the older clergy, who looked back to the recusant tradition of penal times, and the new generation, who looked towards the 'Second Spring' and were convinced of the imminent Conversion of England. Writing in 1848, Wiseman praised the younger priests but felt that most of the older clergy were resistant to change and 'Gallican' in their views. Even after 1850 a number of older priests did not adopt the recently-introduced Roman collar and stuck to the venerable tradition of dressing in the sober clothes of the day.

An interesting period indeed, despite being treated as the 'Dark Age' between the martyrs and the restoration of the Hierarchy. In fact, it was a time of growth and development that made possible the achievements of the age of Wiseman and Manning.

Sarum Memories

2008-02-27T21:35:00.008Z

I've just noticed that the reconstituted Valle Adurni blog is running an extensive series of videos of Candlemas celebrated according to the Sarum Usage. The Mass was held in the late thirteenth century chapel of Merton College, Oxford back in 1997, with the consent of the late Archishop Maurice Couve de Murville and the College authorities.

The footage brings back many happy memories. I was MC - it was my penultimate term at Oxford and you can see me eagerly wandering around the sanctuary. The previous year's Sarum High Mass for the Translation of St Frideswide had been the highlight of my term as President of the University's Newman Society. A video of this exists somewhere so I hope that that will be Fr Sean's next project. Looking at the clips now, I'm reminded that the majority of the servers later entered either a novitiate or a seminary, and that many of them were ordained - including a Dominican, an Oratorian and a member of the Community of St John. It's amusing to see two English seminarians being bold enough to sit in choir, though I've got a feeling neither were ordained.

The above video shows the Canon, with the curious detail of the deacon and subdeacon being given lit candles for the consecration, and the striking cruciform gesture of the celebrant, which impressed me much at the time (though it's hard to make out on the video). I think I'm right in saying that it was pure coincidence (providence?) that the great bell of Merton started ringing at this supreme moment.

Anyway, thanks to Fr Sean for posting these videos and rekindling our interest once again in England's ancient liturgy.

Death of the Grand Master

2008-02-08T12:34:00.001Z

Of your charity

please pray for the repose of the soul of

His Most Eminent Highness

Fra' Andrew Bertie

Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

who died last night in Rome

fortified by the Rites of Holy Mother Church.

+ + +

Fra' Andrew Bertie, a distant relative of the Queen, was the 78th and first British Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order. He was an alumnus of Christ Church, Oxford and formerly an officer with the Scots Guards and a teacher at Worth Abbey School. RIP.

Lent

2008-02-08T09:25:00.000Z

I'm trying not to spend too much time on the computer this Lent and so there won't be very regular posts - though, you might say, there haven't been very regular posts for some months now. Anyhow, here is a video from Chicago's Fr Robert Barron to provide some seasonal reflection until I post again...

Arabian Pictures

2008-02-02T20:08:00.000Z

Bloggers have a tendency to assume that the whole world is interested in accounts of their travels, complete with photos. However, the aim of these pictures is not (hopefully) to bore you but to give you some idea of the vibrancy of the Church in Arabia.

St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi is not exactly a picture postcard building:

However it is the heart of the Vicariate. In the large compound is a presbytery, parish hall, school, Carmelite convent and Bishop's House. It is here that the Vicar Apostolic of Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, is based. On Thursday, my last day there, he celebrated his fourth anniversary as Bishop - and here he is in the Cathedral Hall before the Solemn Mass. He wears a pectoral cross presented to him by Pope Benedict a week or so ago during the ad limina:

There is a constant stream of people coming in and out of the Cathedral all day. Candles are always being lit outside the Lourdes Grotto:

Now for the Christian Formation Conference, at which I spoke. Here I am with two other speakers: Dr Carole Eipers (Vice President of Sadlier Publishing) and Dr Petroc Willey (Deputy Director of Maryvale):

There were over 600 people present:

Here is a rather serious-looking line-up - the Roman Miscellanist with Mgr Francis Jamieson, the English-born Vicar General of Arabia, and the wonderful Director of Christian Formation, Catherine Miles-Flynn:

Finally, no Arabian gallery would be complete without camels. And these are no ordinary camels - but elite racing camels, training in the midst of the desert outside Abu Dhabi:

Update: I have been requested to include a picture of the Young Adults Group discussing the subject of vocation over Moroccan tea and sheesha in downtown Abu Dhabi. This is very much part of Arab life. Any uncharitable comments will not be posted!

O Arabia Felix!

2008-01-31T19:10:00.000Z

I've just returned from ten days in the Gulf, feeling jet-lagged from the night flight but also incredibly humbled and encouraged by the situation over there. Just to remind you: the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia looks after the Catholics of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen. There are at least 2 million Catholics out there, half of whom are in the 'Forbidden Kingdom' of Saudi Arabia (where the Church is allowed no official activity). Relative religious freedom within a well-defined framework exists in all the other countries but there is a huge problem of adequate provision - 16 parishes and 55 priests to serve 2 million souls! That was the reason, I suppose, why I encountered such warm hospitality this last week.

Due to the delicate political situation, I have to be careful about the details I provide here. I spoke at a conference for those involved in catechesis and teaching. If such a meeting was held in England, you'd be lucky to get 100, but in the Gulf over 600 people attended the three day event. The atmosphere was electric - especially when, at the beginning of the conference, representatives from each community brought flags to the front of the hall (and I say 'community' since not all of them have access to a church).

One of the other speakers at the conference was Dr Petroc Willey, EWTN presenter and Deputy-Director of the amazing Maryvale Institute (which deserves to be better known). It was great to get to know him and help him celebrate his birthday last weekend. The Vicariate of Arabia uses the Echoes programme and some catechists are working for the Maryvale Certificate in Catechesis (MCC). Petroc also edits The Sower, which I've just subscribed to - I know of no other catechetical resource that is so reliable, well-produced and full of practical points. I recommend it to all priests, catechists and parishes!

On Tuesday night I did some work with the Abu Dhabi Young Adults Group. We reflected on the theme of vocation together and then went out to enjoy the nightime treat of Moroccan Tea and sheesha by the sea! Hmmm, I must do that with my parish's young adults group. One thing that came across from our conversation was that the biggest threat to the Faith out there is not so much fundamentalism but the increasingly materialist outlook of society, especially in places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The UK and UAE are perhaps not that dissimilar!

A few more posts and pictures to follow, especially when I get back to the parish at the weekend...

Back to the Gulf!

2008-01-20T09:22:00.000Z

Some of you may recall that I was in UAE in August 2007, conducting a retreat for a group of Carmelite sisters. Anyway, I'm going back to the Gulf for ten days to help the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia with their annual 'Christian Formation Conference.' In particular, I'll be giving some talks on the 1997 General Directory of Catechesis. I think there are two other 'keynote speakers,' one of whom is coming from the wonderful Maryvale Institute, near Birmingham.

I may be able to post while out there. But, in case I don't find a connection and to give you some idea of the 'particular Church' in the Arabian Penninsula, take a look at this interesting video:

And prayers please for a safe journey and stay!

St Wulfstan of Worcester

2008-01-19T10:13:00.000Z

It’s always good to celebrate the English saints and today we remember one who is included in the new English Calendar, although he is perhaps not very well known - St Wulfstan of Worcester. Born in Warwickshire around 1008, he joined the Benedictine monastery at Worcester and eventually became Prior. He was well-known for his holiness and asceticism. On one occasion, he was celebrating Mass and was so distracted by the smell of a tasty goose that was being cooked for dinner, that he decided there and then to give up meat and become a vegetarian.

In 1062 he became bishop of Worcester. Four years later the Normans conquered England and St Wulfstan was the only Saxon bishop allowed to remain in office, partly because King William preferred monastic bishops and partly because of his much-admired pastoral care of his flock. One legend relates that the Archbishop of Canterbury doubted his ability and asked St Wulfstan to resign. On hearing this, he rammed his crozier into the stone of the tomb of St Edward the Confessor, the last Saxon King. Rather like King Arthur’s Excalibur, no one could pull it out but St Wulfstan, which was seen as Divine confirmation of his office.

Bishop Wulfstan made Worcester a centre of liturgy and chant, and re-built the Cathedral. There is a rather touching story of the saint shedding tears at the destruction of the old Cathedral, which was the work of saints who knew not how to build fine churches but knew how to sacrifice themselves to God, whatever roof might be over them. Rather remarkably, St Wulfstan preached against the trade of Irish slaves in nearby Bristol and actually managed to stop it.

St Wulfstan died in January of 1095 - according to one tradition he passed away while washing the feet of a dozen poor men, which was his daily custom. Miracles were soon attributed to his intercession, including the healing of King Harold's daughter, and he was canonised by Innocent III in 1203. ‘Bad King John’ had a great devotion to the saint and was buried near his shrine at Worcester.

Hope

2008-01-13T16:47:00.000Z

I'm just preparing for the young adults group that meets this evening. Tonight we will be following the Pope's instructions and discussing some key passages from Spe Salvi. While reflecting on hope, I was delighted to see the pictures of this morning's Mass in the Sistine Chapel at which the Holy Father celebrated ad orientem. It's good to see the seventh candle again too (behind the crucifix)! (Photo courtesy of NLM)

The Pope once again demonstrates his pedagogy of leading quietly by example. Today's Mass will help take the stigma out of Mass ad orientem, show that it is a key part of the hermeneutic of continuity and destroy the myth of the bad old days when priests turned their backs to the people and privatized the liturgy. In the pictures it just looks so right! Fr Ray Blake has an excellent reflection on liturgical orientation, in which he speaks of the huge impact of today's Mass because 'for most people it is not what they hear that is important but what they see.'

Catholic Anniversaries in 2008

2008-01-06T15:11:00.000Z

Cardinal Pole - who died 450 years ago

Here are some anniversaries of Catholic interest that we will be keeping this year. There are probably many others I haven't mentioned:

26 January 900th Anniversary of the death of St Alberic, one of the Cistercian Founders
6 February 1750th Anniversary of the martyrdom of Pope St Sixtus II
11 February 150th Anniversary of the First Apparition at Lourdes
21 March 400th Anniversary of the martyrdom of the priest Bl Matthew Flathers at York
11 April 400th Anniversary of the martyrdom of Bl George Gervase, OSB at Tyburn
3 May 250th Anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XIV
27 May 1700th Anniversary of the election of Pope St Marcellus I
23 June 400th Anniversary of the martyrdom of St Thomas Garnet, SJ at Tyburn
6 July 25oth Anniversary of the election of Pope Clement XIII
15 July 20oth Anniversary of the birth of Henry Edward Cardinal Manning
9 September 100th Anniversary of the opening of the International Eucharistic Congress in London (it continued until 13 September)
24 September 1150th Anniversary of the election of Pope St Nicholas the Great
3 October 550th Anniversary of the birth of St Casimir of Poland
5 October 350th Anniversary of the birth of Mary of Modena (our last Catholic Queen)
9 October 50th Anniversary of the death of Pope Pius XII
28 October 50th Anniversary of the election of Bl John XXIII
8 November 700th Anniversary of the death of Bl Duns Scotus
17 November 45oth Anniversary of the deaths of Queen Mary I and Reginald Cardinal Pole

Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente

2008-01-06T11:04:00.001Z

Buona festa!

As I was doing my morning ablutions, I listened with interest to BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship. The programme is normally a bit of a mixed bag, and can leave one feeling rather dry, but this week there is a meditation on Science and Religion from the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo, led by James Hanvey SJ and Guy Consolmagno SJ. There are some interesting points made, as well as intriguing references to the pope's collection of meteorites! For the time being, you can listen to it by following this link.

I missed part of it since I had to get ready for Mass. I'd never thought before of preaching an Epiphany Sermon on fides et ratio but it seems so obvious - I must remember that for next year!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T10:03:00.000Z

I'm now back in the parish, having spent a few days at home doing absolutely nothing. In the absence of the parish priest, it was my task to celebrate last night's Midnight Mass (for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God). When I first came across these New Year Midnight Masses, I was rather dubious since they seemed to have no precedent in tradition and I wasn't sure whether they were officially approved. However, more and more parishes organise them and they are particularly popular with the African and West Indian communities.

Following on from last night, I think that organising some sort of religious service for New Year's Eve is an excellent idea since it effectively Christianizes a very secular celebration and provides a viable alternative to getting drunk or watching ridiculous TV shows like 'The Most Annoying People of 2007.' What better way is there to start the new calendar year than by adoring the Blessed Sacrament or attending Mass?

About 500 people came last night (which far exceeded my expectations). We started with half an hour's adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At the moment of Midnight (more or less) Benediction was given, surrounded by bells (inside the church) and fireworks (outside). I then exchanged my cope for a gold chasuble and Mass began. We sang the Veni Creator, which is customary for the New Year and is also indulgenced. Another time it would be good to sing the Te Deum in the last moments of the old year, which is an indulgenced devotion for 31 December.

The Catholic papers recently had a report about the many (mostly urban) parishes that move the Christmas Midnight Mass to an earlier time due to security concerns (both for church and pasrishioners). I sympathise with them. However, living in a parish that straddles, according to a 2007 survey, two of the most 'undesirable' London Boroughs (Islington and Hackney), I'm delighted to report that there was absolutely no trouble at either of the Midnight Masses we've had this last week. And fears of security did not put off the 500 faithful who chose to attend each of them.

Happy Christmas

2007-12-25T02:17:00.000Z

And is it true? and is it true?

The most tremendous tale of all,

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,

A Baby in an ox's stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true? For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant.

No love that in a family dwells,

No carolling in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare -

That God was Man in Palestine

And lives to-day in Bread and Wine.

(from 'Christmas' by Sir John Betjemin)

I wish everyone a very happy and blessed Christmas!

I'll wish you a merry Octave too, for I'm not sure when I'll next be posting. Most of Christmas Day will be spent in church and presbytery dining room (where nine of us will be sitting down to turkey et al, including five priests). Then on St Stephen's Day I'm going home for my second Christmas meal. I'm staying there a few days and may post something, though my father's ancient dial-up connection is painfully slow.

Update: We have a rather bare, modern (1964) church, so we did our best in decorating it for the great feast. At least there is a central tabernacle and plenty of space on the sanctuary, both behind and front of the altar.

Christmas Cat

2007-12-24T16:35:00.000Z

Meet Bobby, the organist's Burmese cat who is 'living' in my study over the next 24 hours. She is very friendly and is proving quite a distraction as I finish my Christmas sermons. The presbytery dogs are extremely excited at her presence and Oscar has already been in to play that favourite Christmas parlour game - 'Find Kittie.'

Thoughts on Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T09:43:00.000Z

The Presbytery Christmas Tree

Christmas Eve is a bit like Holy Saturday. It might seem rather empty but it is, in reality, a day of expectant waiting for the sacred event that we commemorate and make present again at Midnight Mass. Tonight the angels will sing the birth of God’s Son. This morning, in the Gospel of the final Mass of Advent, the last word is given to the father of St John the Baptist – Zechariah. In his Benedictus, which we repeat every day at Lauds, God is praised for the way He visits His people. Zechariah looks back to the past – to Abraham, David and the ‘prophets from ancient times.’ He looks to the present, to his child, John, ‘who shall be called the Prophet of the Most High’ and ‘will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him.’ He looks to the future – to the mystery of Christmas night, when God will bring the rising Sun to visit us, ‘to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death.’

The powerful image in Zechariah’s prayer points us to Christmas. The birth of Christ has long been celebrated near the point in the year when the sun grows stronger and the long winter nights begin slowly to shorten. This is why light is such an important feature of the Christmas Season –the lights of our Christmas trees and the decorations in the street. It is because Jesus, the Light of the World, the Sun of Justice, came to us in the middle of the night to shed away darkness and sin, and give us new life. That is the whole point of Christmas.

Let us spend Christmas Eve calmly, preparing ourselves spiritually as well as materially for the great Feast. Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay!

Britain - a Catholic Country?

2007-12-23T09:42:00.000Z

The headline in the Sunday Telegraph would have pleased the likes of Cardinal Wiseman and Pugin: Britain has become a 'Catholic country.' Apparently. This is more to do with the decline of the Anglican Communion and the number of Catholic immigrants than any deeper conversion of the national psyche.

A survey of 37,000 churches, to be published in the new year, shows the number of people going to Sunday Mass in England last year averaged 861,000, compared with 852,000 Anglicans worshipping.It is part of the changing face of churchgoing across Britain in the 21st century which has also seen a boom in the growth of Pentecostal churches, which have surpassed the Methodist Church as the country's third largest Christian denomination. Worshipping habits have changed dramatically with a significant rise in attendance at mid-week services and at special occasions - the Church of England expects three million people to go to a parish church over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In an attempt to combat the declining interest in traditional religion, the Anglican Church has launched radical new forms of evangelism that include nightclub chaplains, a floating church on a barge and internet congregations.

Bishop Hollis told the Sunday Telegraph: 'we don't want to be seen to be scoring points over the Anglican Church as we are in no way jealous of its position as the national church, but of course these figures are encouraging. It shows that the Church is no longer seen as on the fringes of society, but in fact is now at the heart of British life.'

Of course, post-Blairite Britain shows few other signs of being 'Catholic', especially with the high abortion rate, recent laws permitting same sex partnerships and euthanasia by neglect, and the secular, politically correct Big Brother nature of government. Reports such as these show the positive aspects of Tony Blair's 'conversion.' This is a great opportunity for the Church, as people will undoubtedly be curious about the 'Catholic thing.' It would be a pity if all they saw in the Catholic response was condemnation and negativity.

Blair Becomes a Catholic

2007-12-22T13:58:00.000Z

So Tony Blair was received into the Church last night at Archbishop's House, Ambrosden Avenue. He had, according to reports, been receiving instruction in recent months from an RAF Chaplain (Fr John Walsh) and the Cardinal's Private Secretary (Mgr Mark O'Toole).

Whatever our opinion on Blair's decade as PM or our reservations on the timing of his conversion (why now and not when he was in the office?), this is good news - because it's always good news when someone follows the call of God and come to the fullness of faith. In the words of the Church's current Advent 'campaign' in this country, Blair has 'come home for Christmas.'

It would be un-Christian to assume, at this stage and without any real evidence, that his conversion was insincere. After all, in the short service presided over by the Cardinal last night, Blair would have solemnly declared, after reciting the creed: 'I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.'

We trust that Blair will be able to clarify where he now stands on moral issues such as abortion, on which he had such a poor voting record in his pre-Catholic days. SPUC has referred to him as 'one of the world's most significant architects of the culture of death - promoting abortion, experiments on human embryos, including on cloned human embryos, and euthanasia by neglect.' Following last night's Reception into the Church, we should presume his sincerity and repentance for past sins and hope for a new beginning.

Blair's conversion is, indeed, historic and constitutes the most high-profile recent conversion in this country outside of the Royal Family. He will now be in a unique position to live out the lay apostolate and bear witness to his Catholic faith through his words and actions.

As a friend of mine put it in an e-mail: 'it's got to be good news. Mr Blair, make it so.' In the meantime, we can join the Cardinal in saying that our 'prayers are with him, his wife and family at this joyful moment in their journey of faith together.'

Carols

2007-12-21T23:31:00.000Z

Tonight I accompanied several parishioners (including Cally's Kitchen) to the London Oratory for the annual Christmas Carol Service and Solemn Benediction. I used to go along regularly as a seminarian, when I had normally just returned from Rome. It was delightful to step back from the busy parish schedule and immerse oneself in the traditional music and readings of the Season.

My favourite moment must have been four members of the Junior Choir (representing the angels) singing Quem pastores from the choir loft, answered from the body of the church by the Shepherds (the main choir) singing Nunc angelorum gloria. This was following an old German custom (Quempas) of alternating the verses of the two carols.

Benediction was as splendid as ever, the monstrance placed on the throne high above the altar, as the choir sang (amongst other things) Peter Cornelius' The Three Kings. The church was packed and, by the end, my heart was sufficiently full of Christmas cheer not to be bothered by some of the noisy toddlers running around the side aisles!

Some years ago the Oratory Choirs produced an excellent CD of Christmas music, though I'm not sure how available it now is.

A Double-Decker Curiosity

2007-12-19T09:33:00.001Z

The Council of Trent emphasised the importance of preaching and confessions and occasionally in Italian churches you see these extraordinary double-decker confessional-pulpits. This one is from the Duomo of San Gregorio in Monte Porzio, near Frascati.

Parish Cinema

2007-12-16T23:27:00.000Z

Just back from our Young Adults group. Normally we have prayer and discussion (I'm thinking about taking up the Holy Father's suggestion and focussing on Spe Salvi in the new year). Tonight, though, 12 of us (including a Hindu!) watched a DVD - The Nun's Story. This is one of my favourite films, mixing plenty of exterior action with Sister Luke (Audrey Hepburn)'s interior struggle against her pride. Although she does not persevere in the end, both she and the nuns come across very well. One of the leitmotifs of the film is particularly striking: 'You can cheat your sisters but you cannot cheat yourself or God.'

In a Roman Sacristy...

2007-12-16T00:01:00.000Z

...it's amazing what you find. The picture shows the tiny sacristy of San Gregorio dei Muratori and Fr Joseph Kramer, who I got to know in my Roman days. During my visit, he brought down a dusty box, which normally lives on top of a cabinet, and proclaimed it to be a Jacobite relic:

It is a confraternity habit that once belonged to Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia (1751-1819), who after the death of his cousin, the Cardinal Duke of York, in 1807 was recognised by Jacobites as 'Charles IV'. By this time he had abdicated his Sardinian throne after the death in 1802 of his wife, the Venerable Marie-Clotilde of France (a sister of Louis XVI and now on the road to canonisation). Charles Emmanuel retired to Rome and actually died as a Jesuit novice at Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.

The church of San Gregorio de Muratori was built by the Roman Confraternity of Builders (muratori) and, from 1931, used by St Leonard of Port Maurice's Archconfraternity of the Friends of Jesus and Mary on Calvary, which originally conducted the Via Crucis in the Colosseum. It was to this group that Charles Emmanuel belonged and his habit is preserved in this little sacristy to this day.

Papal Image Change?

2007-12-15T22:37:00.000Z

The BBC is currently running an irritating story about Zeffirelli's recent suggestion that Pope Benedict needs a makeover of his 'cold' image and 'showy' clothes. When people talk about the Holy Father's 'showy lifestyle' I really don't know what they mean - just because he has restored some of the traditional parts of his wardrobe (most of which were worn by the 'great reformers' Bl John XXIII and Paul VI) and occasionally wears trendy sunglasses (which were probably a gift) apparently makes him extravagant and out-of-touch. Surely a plain white cassock, worn day-in, day-out, is the height of simplicity, especially when compared with other world leaders?

An image change would be confusing, unnecessary and potentially disastrous. Paul VI apparently considered replacing the white cassock with a 1970s-style all-white suit. He had one made and realised how ridiculous it would look. Deo gratias!

Anyway, shouldn't we be pleased that a twenty-first century Pope is willing to engage in a spot of recycling when it comes to personal attire (such as Bl Pius IX's mitre, which was worn at the recent consistory)?

Readers are encouraged to post a comment on the BBC website.

A Champion of the Faith - RIP

2007-12-15T20:38:00.000Z

I was very saddened to hear of the death, today, of a great English champion of the faith - Denis Riches, the Founder of Family Publications and the husband of family and pro-life campaigner,Valerie Riches. He had been battling cancer since August 2005. On 6 October this year he and Valerie were invested as a Knight and Dame of the Order of St Gregory (see picture), in recognition of their great work, and they also recently published their autobiography, Built on Love.

As someone who has been involved with several of his publishing projects, I met Denis on numerous occasions and always benefitted from his wisdom and enthusiasm. He was a true Christian gentleman. Say a prayer for the repose of his soul and the solace of his family, who can be sure that his legacy will continue for many years in Family Publications.

Requiescat in pace.